


The Unseen Beauty of the Ungrateful

by SKblind



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gay, GayPanic, Gen, Gods, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Miscommunication, Self-Worth Issues, Slow Burn, Trauma, insecure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 38,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22998787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SKblind/pseuds/SKblind
Summary: First came the heavens, the glistening white abyss of clouds that overlooked the barren land.Then came the six primaries: Life, Death, Earth, Ocean, Weather, and Chaos.Happy ascension day!This is a story of my creation using the Hermitcraft characters! To be clear, I am using their HC personas, not the actual people. You do not need any background with HC to understand or enjoy the story however.This story does contain shipping (#Grumbo)
Relationships: Mumbo Jumbo/Grian
Comments: 573
Kudos: 831





	1. Prologue

First came the heavens, the glistening white abyss of clouds that overlooked the barren land.

Then came the six primaries: Life, Death, Earth, Ocean, Weather, and Chaos.

"We should use our power to take care of the weak and help them to be strong" Life had said, and used his magic to scatter humans and animals across the barren land.

"All good things must come to an end, but that does not mean they are truly over" Death had replied, taking the soul of a sick woman to ease her suffering.

"They will thrive in the rhythm of the ground they walk on" Earth said, dragging mountains into peaks and dusting jungles, forests, and valleys across the land.

"And give them the ability to fly without wings" Ocean agreed, watching as the humans swam in the lakes she had dug for them.

"Teach them about the power of solitary and togetherness through change" Weather added, striking down a storm upon the land to feed the starving crops.

Chaos was quiet, watching as the people grew and died, existed and expanded. He smiled.

"There is a difference between surviving and living" he said making the eyes of the others turn to him. "They must know true fear to have true happiness, and must know chaos to truly know joy"

**I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Chapter 1 is already up so check that out**


	2. Ascension Day

"Welcome everyone!" Xisuma shouted over the chattering crowd, who immediately ceased their conversations to turn towards the God of Life.

"Happy ascension day" Xisuma continued, his eyes gleaming in happiness as he looked at each God in turn. "As most of you know, every 100 years we all gather in my humble home to celebrate our new brothers and sisters who have joined us within the last century"

Mumbo looked around at the gleaming marble palace he had been welcomed into. The phrase _humble home_ was a bit of an understatement.

"Now in the last fifteen centuries or so we have had a significant decrease in ascensions" Xisuma continued. "And this century was no different. Do not be upset! The lack of ascensions means we are doing our job of keeping the humans safe and happy. They do not need any more than what we give them to thrive"

He spread his white wings slightly in pride.

"However, we did have one new ascension! With the rise of technology, electricity, and engineering 80 years ago, we welcomed Mumbo Jumbo, God of Redstone"

Mumbo felt his face flush in embarrassment as all eyes turned to him and the small crowd of ethereal Gods began to applaud him.

"Th-thank you" he managed, bowing his head at Life, who gave him a dazzling smile.

"Please eat, drink, and be merry" Xisuma said raising his chalice. "It is not often we take a break from our duties. Why should the humans have all the fun?"

The crowd laughed lightly in appreciation and followed Life's lead as they took a sip of their drinks.

Music waved her hand and a pleasant melody began to swim through the hall, highlighting the joy and satisfaction of its occupants.

Mumbo glanced affectionately at the black markings on the back of his hands. He traced a slender finger over the curved lines and branches that formed the symbol of technology that belonged only to him and felt his lips turn upwards in contentment.

Looking around the room, he was met with passing smiles and waves from a multitude of Gods he did not know. Even after 80 years in the heavens, he had not acquainted with many of them.

This was not surprising. They all had their own duties and jobs to do, and besides, the heavens were vast and expansive. This was the first time since Mumbo's ascension he had even been back to this area of the ethereal world.

He groaned inwardly at the memory of meeting Life and Death. How awkward and nervous he had been!

 _Yeah because you are so different now_ a small voice in his head drawled.

"Mumbo!"

Music and Laughter strode into view, smiling brightly at him.

"Hello!" Mumbo replied, allowing his shoulders to relax slightly.

Music and Laughter, or Stress and Iskall as they preferred to be called by their chosen names, were the first two Gods to greet him besides the five primaries when he had begun his duty, and they had become fast friends.

Mumbo was too shy to say so, but he was quite thankful of them for letting him join their small group. As far as he could tell, Iskall and Stress had been close for a long time as their duties of maintaining music and laughter in the human race often overlapped.

"Happy ascension" Stress said, clinking her glass against his, and bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Happy ascension" Mumbo replied, mimicking her movements and managing to slosh some of his drink down his arm.

Iskall laughed heartily. It was the kind of laugh that you couldn't help but join in on, loud, boisterous, but not mocking.

"Are you having a good time?" He inquired to the young God.

"Yes?" Mumbo replied. He cringed when he heard how dubious his answer sounded.

"I am" he assured. "I'm just... not really a fan of large crowds"

Stress nodded understandingly.

"Do you want to go outside?"

"Perhaps that is a good idea" he sighed.

"Would you like some company?" Iskall asked, linking his elbow with Mumbo's.

"Oh no! I don't want to take you away from the party" Mumbo said, trying not to trip as he pulled his arm away.

"It's no trouble" Stress said. "You don't have to be so worried about us"

"I- really, thank you, but I- "

He was trying to think of a good excuse. Stress and Iskall, Music and Laughter, he knew how much they loved parties. Not just that, but he felt awkward and uncomfortable surrounded by people he didn't know who treated him with an over-politeness he didn't feel he deserved.

"I'm just going to get some fresh air" Mumbo said, clenching his jaw at his lame explanation. "I'll come back in later ok?"

Stress and Iskall exchanged a glance before shrugging slightly.

"If you're sure" Stress said, offering him a smile.

"Xisuma has a great view from the top of his palace" Iskall added, before he was sucked away by the crowd. "You could go sit on the roof and watch the sunset!"

Mumbo shuddered a bit at Iskall using Life's chosen name and treating his home so casually, but he did not object to the idea. A moment alone was exactly what he needed.

After extracting himself from the crowd and fumbling his way out the door, he spread his red wings and stumbled into a slightly shaky landing on the roof.

Mumbo relaxed beside one of the marble turrets, watching the sun set behind the large mountain range below. It truly was a sight to behold.

He let out a long sigh. Why was it so hard to talk to his fellow Gods in a normal way? They laughed and drank, played games and slung arms over each other's shoulders as though they were humans. Even the five primaries, while being looked up to by everyone, still joked and played along, perfectly welcoming and friendly.

So why did he feel like he was an outsider looking in?

"Because you're new" a voice said from the other side of the pillar.

Mumbo jumped so high he nearly fell off the roof. He scrambled to stand, spluttering nonsense as he tried to think of something to say.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know anyone was here! I can go-"

"Don't worry about it" the voice said, sounding rather bored. "Enjoy yourself. Don't let me get in the way"

Mumbo considered his options, and slowly sat back down.

"Ok... um sorry again"

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I-" he had no answer for such a question. Face flushed, he tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Why aren't you at the party?"

"I could ask you the same question"

Ok clearly this God, whoever he was, didn't want to answer that question anymore than Mumbo did.

"The others will get used to you after a couple hundred years or so" the voice said suddenly. "They will stop acting so polite and tell you how they really think and feel"

"How do you-"

"You were thinking out loud" the voice interrupted.

"Oh I'm sorry"

The God scoffed and Mumbo heard him shuffle around.

"Again with the apologizing"

"I'm-"

"Do not say sorry again" the voice cut in, and Mumbo clamped his mouth shut, embarrassed by how easily this God could read him without even looking at his face.

"Anyways" the God continued. "Don't worry about the others for now. You're new right? We haven't gotten a new God in a long time and you have yet to show how strong you are. Once they think they have you figured out, they will treat you as a friend"

"Oh that's... thank you" Mumbo said, surprised by how relieving that actually was.

"Or an enemy" the God finished, making Mumbo's stomach clench.

"What's your name?" He asked, getting to his feet in hopes of seeing the other's face. "What kind of God are you?"

He turned to look over the top of the pillar and yelled when he was met with a body already perched on the top of it. Even though he was hunched down to look at Mumbo with his legs crossed over each other, it was easy to tell he was small. The God wore black clothes and a dark purple cloak and gloves which matched his majestic purple wings. The hood was tucked over his head so his hair couldn't be seen, and he wore a white mask with beautiful silver details that covered the top half of his face. The only visible patch of skin besides his neck was the smirk that shaped his plush red lips.

"Sorry" the God said, not sounding at all sorry. "I didn't mean to scare you"

"It's fine" Mumbo said. Placing a hand on his racing heart. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?" Was the immediate response.

"Mumbo Jumbo"

The red lips were pushed into a flat line for a second before returning to their original smirk as though the God was trying to suppress a laugh at his chosen name.

"What is your God title?"

"Redstone" Mumbo replied. He watched the God's mouth carefully for any signs of underlying emotion.

"Thank you for admiring my lips Mumbo Jumbo, but I'm afraid you have to tear your eyes away. I have to go"

Mumbo's jaw dropped at the shameless statement and he felt heat creep up his face.

"I- I wasn't... you don't have to go!"

He didn't know why he wanted this God to stay so badly. All he knew was this person was the most interesting and enticing of anyone he had met in the last 80 years, and he didn't want their conversation to end.

The God let out a puff of air in a silent chuckle. 

"Don't worry I'm not leaving because of you Mumbo Jumbo" he said standing on the pillar so Mumbo had to crane his neck up even more. "I just have some things to take care of"

He spread his wings and jumped from the roof.

"Wait! You didn't answer my question! What kind of God are you? What's your name?" Mumbo asked in a heightened tone.

Flapping his wings to remain floating, the God turned and grinned. Not the smirk he had been showing, but a real smile. He held out a gloved hand.

"My name is Grian"

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know what you think and give me feedback because it's always kind of scary starting a new story. It will help me make it better if I know what you guys think. If you did enjoy it, please consider leaving a like!**


	3. Back to the Ground

Mumbo spent the next several months in a daze, dreaming of a purple cloak and a white mask. When he had asked Stress and Iskall about the God, they had shaken their heads, saying they had never seen or heard of a God matching that description.

"Why don't you ask one of the primaries?" Stress asked one day as she and Mumbo worked on completing the blueprints for a new machine they called 'a phonograph'.

Mumbo felt his palms start to sweat at her words and he quickly shook his head.

"I don't want to bother them"

"They aren't going to be angry with you or anything if that's what you're worried about" Stress said, nudging him gently. "I've never even seen Xisuma and Cub have an argument, and of all the Gods you would think that Life and Death would have the most disagreements"

"Yes but... look it's not important. I really don't care that much" Mumbo lied.

Stress scoffed.

"You are a horrible liar. Even if your face didn't turn red every time you lied-" Mumbo bowed his head "-you've been asking about this God for almost a year. What did he say that had you so enraptured?"

"I mean... nothing really. He just... wasn't polite. He didn't make me feel uncomfortable by pretending to like me. In fact he seemed to not like me at all!"

"And... you liked that?" Stress asked scrunching up her face in confusion.

"No! No I just - I want him to like me" Mumbo clamped his jaw shut before he could say _I like his smile and I want to see it again_.

He finished the details of the machine with a flick of his pencil.

"I think this should work. Once it has been on the ground for a couple decades people should start to use this sound technology for other things and hopefully it will naturally evolve on its own without us having to interfere"

"Great!" Stress exclaimed, forgetting the subject of the masked God in her excitement. "I can send them down then if you're ready"

"How do you want to do that?" Mumbo asked.

"Well... we could go about it a few different ways" she said, tapping her chin with her forefinger. "The easiest way is just to send the plans down with a lower level immortal"

Mumbo shook his head. He could still remember his years as a young immortal before his ascension. It was quite annoying to have the God's dirty work thrust onto him.

"I'll take it down myself. Find someone with the redstone skills to make this and relay the information"

"Why go through all that trouble?" Stress inquired.

"Don't you ever go down to the surface?" He asked, taken aback.

"Well yeah, every couple decades to make sure everything is in order" she said, a bit defensively. "But I never take down my work updates. Can you imagine how often I'd have to go down if I had to hand deliver every single Mozart opera and Brahms symphony? Gods that would be annoying"

 _I'm sure it's just as annoying for the immortals who have to do it_ Mumbo thought, but he nodded understandingly.

"Still, I'd prefer to do it myself"

Stress shrugged.

"To each their own I guess"

Unfurling her pale pink wings, preparing to leave.

"Remember, your wings will recede once your feet touch the ground and make sure no one sees you using your power. Also, take care of your corporeal body, and if you get it damaged, make sure to come back up as quickly as possible. The longer you stay down there the harder it will be to removed any scars you acquire"

She looked him up and down.

"You actually should be dressed ok for the time. What is it, like 1820 something down there? I think those suits are still normal for males"

She gave him a small wave as she took off, whistling a cheerful tune to herself.

Mumbo sighed and reentered his palace, admiring the white jade door frame that he had spent weeks on. He hadn't been to the surface since his ascension as he had been far too busy, and he was curious to see how things had changed. It had been a while since his plans for locomotives had been sent down and he had heard through the grapevine that the humans had started calling them 'trains'.

He hummed tonelessly under his breath as he took one last look at the blueprints, making sure he had memorized them correctly. Splaying out his scarlet wings, he took a shaky breath before allowing his feet to sink through the clouds. He felt his stomach drop as he began to pick up speed and he flapped like crazy, trying not to crash unnecessarily. Thank gods the humans couldn't see him until his wings retracted, because he was sure with the way he was flailing around he looked like an idiot.

After a very shaky landing behind a giant rock where he definitely did not fall thank you very much, he felt a strange sense of pressure between his shoulder blades as his wings retracted into his skin. Mumbo shivered at the sensation.

The thought occurred that he had absolutely no idea where he had landed. How idiotic! He smacked a hand to his forehead and winced. He had completely forgotten that corporeal bodies had pain receptors.

_Ok, ok. Take a step back and take a deep breath._

Once he had re-centered himself, he glanced out from around the large boulder. There seemed to be a grain field to his left with a road leading out of it. To the right of the grain field was a small cottage.

_This must be someone's home_

He bit back his nerves as he made his way to the front door. Hopefully his method of communication with the humans was still relatively within the realm of normalcy.

After a few knocks, a skinny woman with a sour face answered. She looked him up and down with a queer expression.

Mumbo bowed.

"Good day madam. Might I inquire about where the closest town is?"

"Wotsit to you ay?" She snapped. Her voice was very odd. Mumbo had never heard anything like it.

"Um, I apologize for the intrusion. I just seemed to have gotten turned around and-"

"Yeah yeah" she cut him off, clearly anxious to get him off her property. "Follow this road 'ere. It'll take you to Hermitville"

"Oh thank you madam you really have been-"

He was cut off as the door was slammed in his face.

Well. People have certainly gotten ruder.

He followed the road she mentioned and after a few hours of walking he saw a cozy looking town off in the distance.

_Finally!_

After another half hour he was in the thick of the bustling crowd, being jostled between couples with fancy hats, children chasing each other, and men looking rushed on their way to work.

He felt eyes on him and some kids playing nearby even gawked, whispering to each other behind their dirty hands.

What was wrong? Yes his suit seemed a bit dated compared to what these men wore, but how much time could really have passed? He self consciously tugged at his tailcoat.

Just then he heard a shout from behind him.

"Hey mister!"

_Surely they aren't talking to me?_

"You! With the old clothes!"

_Oh. Perhaps they are._

Mumbo turned and saw a man dressed in a rather casual suit running to catch up. His suit matched the brown of his hair and beard, and a measuring tape was looped around his neck.

"Good day" Mumbo said, bowing.

The man looked at him in confusion.

"What are you bowing for? I'm not the Queen for gods sake"

Oh. Mumbo felt his face flush a bit as he straightened up.

"What are you wearing?" The man continued, walking around Mumbo to see his outfit from all sides. "It isn't the 20s anymore. I didn't even know anyone still owned breeches"

Mumbo looked down at his legs. His pants were cropped just below the knee and smooth white stockings continued from under their hem down to his feet.

"Oh. I-I didn't realize I was so behind the times"

The man looked incredulous for a second before a look of determination took over his features.

"Not to worry! I am the best tailor in town and I will give you a very good price for a fitting and a new set of clothes. Will you indulge me sir?"

How could he refuse? He didn't want people staring at him like this any longer. It was getting quite uncomfortable.

Mumbo nodded and was instantly dragged away by the man into a shop with a sign that read "Ren's Suit Emporium".

He spent the next hour or so having every part of his body wrapped in the tape measure and eventually being issued into a stall to try on suit after suit. After each one, he was met with a shake of the head and a firm "not that one". Only after the seventh suit did Ren's eyes light up and he hurried Mumbo to stand on the small podium so he could pin the size corrections that needed to be made.

Mumbo allowed himself to be poked and prodded, only enduring it so he could talk to the man and gain more knowledge about the current world. Turns out it was not the 1820s anymore, it was 1876. He was in Hermitville which, according to Ren, was the greatest place on earth.

"How can you not know where you are?" Ren asked, fiddling with the sleeves.

"Oh, ah-" Mumbo had not come up with an excuse for the strange questions. "I erm took a very bad fall recently and bumped my head. I couldn't remember where I was when I woke up"

"Well that doesn't sound-"

"Ren!" The bell on the door jingled as someone walked in. "I have the delivery for you"

"Oh wonderful" Ren sighed in relief walking behind Mumbo to take the assumed package from the man.

Mumbo tried to crane his neck around to see.

"Oi! You! Don't move! You'll knock out the pins!" Ren barked over his shoulder.

Mumbo rolled his eyes to himself but turned back to face the cracked mirror.

"This certainly is a big order Ren. What's the occasion?"

"A client down south" Ren said, his voice oozing with smugness and excitement. "If I impress them I'll be this much closer to moving over to the shopping district on the main island"

"Oooh. How fancy"

Something about the sarcastic tone of that voice was very familiar but Mumbo couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"Laugh all you want but I'm planning on getting out of here. Getting a client over in the rich lands is the next step" Ren replied with a huff.

The other man chuckled.

"Don't be so sensitive" he said. "I'm sure you will make it there. Clara will be overjoyed to see you"

"Ah my Clara. I miss her everyday"

Mumbo could see this conversation going on for a while, so he coughed lightly into his arm, just loud enough to draw the attention back to him.

"Oh sorry Mr. Mumbo" Ren said. He turned back to the door quickly. "I'll pay you in a minute, we're almost done here" he muttered before walking back. "Just one more pin and then I can have the suit ready for you in two hours"

Mumbo nodded his thanks.

"Mumbo huh?" The man by the door asked. Mumbo had the sneaking suspicion that the man was smirking.

"Yes" he replied resolutely. "Is there anything wrong with my name?"

"No, no, of course not" the man said. This was really bothering Mumbo now. Where had he heard this voice before? "It's just not a name you hear everyday. The kind of name that you'll remember forever if you hear it once"

"I... suppose"

"There you go!" Ren said, stepping back to admire his work. "Go ahead and take that off, and then I'll ring you up"

Mumbo got out of the suit as carefully as possible, not wanted to spoil Ren's hard work. He changed back into his old clothes before exiting the dressing room.

Ren was counting out diamonds for a man Mumbo presumed was the one who had brought Ren's package. He couldn't see the man's face. His back was turned and he was wearing a dark brown cloak with the hood up.

He moved aside so Mumbo could pay, keeping his back to him.

"25 diamonds for you sir" Ren said with a wide greedy smile.

The man in the cloak snorted out a laugh and Ren narrowed his eyes at him while Mumbo searched his pockets.

"Ah. I don't seem to have brought any money" Mumbo voiced, the realization making him want to smack his face again.

"I'll cover it" the man in the cloak said.

"Oh you don't have-" Mumbo started turning around, but he cut himself short when the identity of the familiar man hit him like a bag of bricks. The dark brown hood of the cloak was pulled over the man's hair, and a very simple brown mask covered the top half of his face, but that smile. There was no mistaking that smile.

"Don't worry about it" the God said, pushing a gaping Mumbo aside to lay out some gems. "But that is a rip off Ren. I'll give you 10 tops"

"20"

"You either sell the suit you just spend an hour on for 10 or you don't sell it at all"

There was no room in his voice for argument. Ren visibly clenched his jaw before rolling his eyes and holding out his hand.

"Fine then just give me the damn money and get out of here"

The God gave him the gems with a smirk on his lips before turning back around to Mumbo.

"Will you let me treat you to a cup of tea _sir_?"

Mumbo just nodded dumbly. How was it him?

"Then follow me"

**Ah! I know this is kind of a weird ending but it was getting too long and it's 3:30am and I need to sleep!**  
**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment**


	4. Afternoon Tea

"What are you-"

"Shh"

"Why-"

"Don't talk"

"But-"

"Mumbo! Is shut up really that hard to understand?"

Mumbo clamped his mouth shut, a pang of embarrassment resonating in his chest.

He walked swiftly to keep up with Grian. For being so small this God really did move fast.

"Grian"

Grian stopped so suddenly that Mumbo ran into his back. He turned, his lips twisting beneath his mask. Mumbo could tell he was surprised.

"Sorry I didn't mean to bump into you"

"No... it's not..." Grian shook his head. "Nevermind. Keep up"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Hurry up!"

He swished his cloak with a dramatic flare and sped along the road, Mumbo jogging to keep up with him.

"Can I just ask one question?"

Grian sighed and slowed his pace to walk next to Mumbo.

"I'm assuming even if I say no you'll do it anyway"

 _Was that a yes?_ With so many questions running through his mind, he struggled for one that seemed appropriate to the situation.

"Um... where are we going?"

Grian gave him a sideways glance.

"What did I say in the shop?"

Mumbo racked his brain. _How can I forget something that happened five minutes ago?_

"You said... you were going to take me for tea"

"Then you have your answer" Grian responded, nodding.

"Wait you were serious? I thought that was just something you said so we could talk alone"

"What makes you think I'm so starved to have a conversation with you _Mumbo Jumbo?_ " He stressed Mumbo's name with a smirk teasing the corners of his mouth. Then he sighed. "I did say that to get you out of there so we could talk, but there's no reason it has to be a lie. Besides, I really can't be seen with you in those clothes"

He turned suddenly and opened a door to a small corner shop. It was painted white and baby blue and bags of tea and fancy teacups hung in front of the windows. The inside was very warm and soft chatter reached Mumbo's ears.

The short plump woman at the counter smiled at Grian as soon as she saw him.

"Hello my dear. How can I help you?" Her demeanor was that of a sweet grandmother.

"Table for two please ma'am. Somewhere in the back if you don't mind" Grian requested charmingly. He spoke in a soft musical voice that was clearly suited to get him what he wanted. Maybe he had the power of persuasion? Even Mumbo wanted to do what he said when he spoke like that.

Unsurprisingly, the woman smiled even wider and nodded.

"Of course! Will a young lady be joining you?"

"No" Grian pulled on Mumbo's sleeve so they were standing together. "He's my plus one"

The woman did a small double take at the sight of the tall man. She looked slightly scandalized, but plastered on a kind smile nonetheless.

"O-of course. Would you like me to take your cloak?"

"No thank you" Grian replied with a slight edge to his tone. Mumbo noticed him tug the hood slightly to cover his head more.

The woman nodded stiffly.

"This way"

She led them past rows of small tables covered in tea and pastries, a softly chatting man and woman at every one. When she reached the back, she gestured for them to take a seat in the corner table. Mumbo couldn't help noticing that the table was slightly out of view of all the others.

Grian thanked her and she bustled away, claiming she'd be back soon to take their order.

"What's up with her?" Mumbo asked as he took a seat across from the masked God.

Grian shrugged slightly, looking over his menu.

"She thinks we're together"

"We... are here together" Mumbo said slowly. He didn't understand.

Grian looked up and caught Mumbo's eye.

"She thinks we're here on a date. Only couples come to this tea house"

Mumbo felt his cheeks heat up and he looked away. Now it made sense.

"Why... why did we come here then" he asked, kneading his napkin between his fingers.

"Because I knew we would be left alone. It's 1876 Mumbo Jumbo, people aren't really ok with this yet"

"Why didn't she throw us out?"

"What proof does she have that we're a couple? Besides, I'm one of her best delivery men. I doubt she wants to lose my trade deals"

"Mn" Mumbo grunted in a way that could mean anything.

Why was he so flustered? It was so stupid. They were here so they could talk in private and not be bothered, not for some kind of...

"So what are you doing on the ground?"

Mumbo blinked.

"I uh..."

_What am I doing here. The suit? No no no._

Grian gave him a pointed look.

"Sorry sorry. I, uh, came down to deliver some plans for a new machine"

"Ah yes" Grian said with a slight smirk. "Yee God of redstone. Why didn't you send it down with someone who knew what they were doing?"

Mumbo's jaw dropped.

"I-I didn't know what year it was! No-no one told me-"

"You didn't ask?" Grian interjected.

Mumbo took a breath.

"Don't put me down so... accurately"

To his surprise, Grian laughed. It was the kind of laugh that made Mumbo want to join in. Light and cheerful. Like bells.

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor Mumbo!"

"I didn't know such a bitter person could laugh" rasped a voice.

Mumbo turned to the gruff voice from behind him. The boy looked as though he was no older than 19, very put together in a tailored grey suit.

"Hello Jevin" Grian said in a sweet voice. It would have sounded friendly if he had been smiling.

"What are you doing in here you freak show?" Jevin asked, crossing his arms. "I don't remember ever saying you were allowed in here"

"I wasn't aware that you owned the shop now Jev. I'm pretty sure it still belongs to your grandmother." Grian's smile was back on his face, but it had an edge to it. Even though that smile wasn't directed at him, it was as though someone had dumped a bucket of ice over Mumbo's head

"Don't call me that!" Jevin hissed, slamming his fist on the table between them. "And don't talk about my grandma. She's already upset enough that you brought _that_ here with you"

He jabbed his thumb in Mumbo's direction.

"Pardon me, but-"

"Don't talk to him Mumbo" Grian interrupted, not taking his eyes off of the boy. "I don't want you to have to associate with slime like him"

"You god damn queer!" Jevin grabbed the scruff of Grian's shirt. "Get out of here or I'll break your legs!"

_CRACK!_

The teacup in front of Grian exploded into hundreds of tiny shards, many of them sticking in Jevin's hand. Somehow they missed Mumbo completely.

"Ah!" Jevin yelled and clutched his hand to his chest. "What did you do to me!?"

Grian cocked his head in confusion.

"I'm not sure what you mean. No one touched that cup. Did you see me touch the cup Mr. Jumbo?"

Mumbo suppressed a smile. That was the most blatant denial of Godly power he had ever witnessed and the urge to laugh was very hard to resist. Still, he managed to school his expression and furrow his eyebrows as though he was in deep thought.

"No I didn't. How strange"

Grian's eyes flashed mischievously behind his mask.

Jevin meanwhile, looked livid.

"Get. Out. Of. Here" he wheezed.

Grian shrugged and stood up calmly.

"All you had to do was ask nicely"

Mumbo snorted out a laugh, and quickly coughed to cover it up. He followed Grian back to the front of the shop. He nodded his thanks to the woman.

"Thank you for your hospitality"

"Yes, thank you ma'am" Grian echoed, his voice oozing with charisma. "I'm afraid our dear sweet Jev has had a bit of an accident. I believe he may require your attention"

They left, the bell on the door jingling behind them.

"Hey"

Mumbo turned to the small God.

"Thanks for playing along" Grian said grinning. "I knew you weren't as boring as you seemed"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think and/or give me some feedback!**


	5. Fire and Arrows

"Better?"

Grian sighed dramatically.

"Yes. Thank gods"

Mumbo grinned, smoothing out his new suit. The black dyed wool fit snugly around his arms, encircling his wrists at the perfect length. Ren really had done well.

"It's going to be dark soon" Grian commented, shielding his eyes from the low hanging sun. "It's not a good idea to stay outside at night. Do you have a place to stay Mumbo Jumbo?"

"Oh... uh-"

Mumbo had not thought that far ahead. Go figure. Grian cocked his head and crossed his arms.

"I'll take that as a no. Come on. You can stay with me"

"Really?" Mumbo sighed, and jogged to catch up with the small cloaked God who had already begun to walk swiftly. "Thank you so much"

"I'm not just going to leave you to the creepers. I may be a... disagreeable person shall we say, but I'm not heartless"

Mumbo chuckled softly, his steps falling in pace with Grian's.

"I don't know about disagreeable either"

Grian made a grunting sound that could have meant anything.

They allowed a calm silence to fall over them as they walked into the forest, the golden sunbeams of the autumn evening dancing in between the red and yellow leaves. Mumbo marveled at the natural beauty of the ground. Who knew anything could be as bewitching as the pearl colored cloudy heavens? Sure he had been to the ground before to deliver messages as a young immortal, but never had he stopped to actually look, nor had he been allowed a corporeal body. Something about feeling every uneven mound of dirt beneath his feet and the smell of leftover rain that still soaked the trees made it all so surreal.

After an hour, Grian finally broke the silence.

"It will be just up ahead here"

Expecting to see some kind of wooden or stone cottage like the ones in the village, Mumbo slowed a bit as Grian led him to the opening of a small cave, so hidden by bushes he probably wouldn't have seen it if not pointed out specifically. Nonetheless, he kept his mouth shut and ducked his head to enter.

It was incredibly dark, especially with the sun nearly completely submerged under the mountains behind them.

Mumbo squinted to follow Grian's movements as the small God picked up a broken branch from the ground and snapped his fingers at one end of it. Instantly, a flame illuminated the tunnel around them.

Mumbo jumped back in surprise, and Grian's lips quirked up into a smirk.

"Sorry to scare you Mumbo Jumbo" he said, not sounding at all sorry.

Mumbo put a hand on his chest, and was surprised to feel the thumping of a heart. Of course. Human bodies had such things.

"What kind of God are you?"

The sudden light wasn't what had startled him. Mumbo had been silently contemplating all day, trying to figure out what kind of God this weird little man was. He never spoke about himself and deviated from any question asked directly about personal aspects, and thus Mumbo didn't have much to go on. All he had were the two powers he had seen him demonstrate. First, the exploding cup, and now the fire. All gods had some powers in common, but most were specific to the particular God's function. Stress could wave her hand and music would play while Iskall could put his hand on someone's shoulder and instill them with instant happiness. Scar, the God of wealth, had never ending diamonds flowing from his pockets and False, the God of war, could summon any weapon in seconds.

But explosions and fire? What function did such power serve? That was just chaos.

Grian handed Mumbo the torch and turned, beginning to walk down the tunnel.

"What kind of God do you think I am?"

Mumbo groaned. "Can you please stop answering my questions with a question"

"Maybe if you stopped repeating your questions I wouldn't have to do that"

"Does it count as repetition if my questions were unanswered?"

"My house is just behind here"

Mumbo ducked under the low hanging rock and opened his mouth to argue again, but stopped at the sight he was met with. The minuscule cave had opened up into a massive canyon, with trees covering a small valley overlooking a petite lake. However that was not the amazing part. What had silenced the young God was the magnificent stone chiseled palace on the opposite end of the lake, glistening against the reflection of the moon in the water, which peered out from under the stalactites clinging to the ceiling.

"Don't just stand there with your mouth open. Come on"

Mumbo looked to see Grian sitting in a small row boat on the edge of the lake. Mumbo just barely fit across from him, having to hug his knees to his chest so Grian had room to row.

"How... when... you..."

"Mumbo, I certainly can't answer your questions without a full sentence"

Mumbo racked his brain for words.

"How did you find this place?" He decided on.

"I was scouting around a while back and came across this canyon"

"The palace?"

"I built it"

"You... you... how?!"

"I had extra time on my hands"

Mumbo gaped. That was hardly a satisfactory answer but his mind was still scrambling to come to terms with what he was seeing. The grandeur of the castle was well within the realm of The Primaries palaces in the heavens. Perhaps that had been the inspiration.

When they got to the shore, Grian held out his hand. Mumbo cocked his head in confusion, and Grian sighed in annoyance.

"Take my hand Mumbo Jumbo. The rocks are really slippery and we don't want you to ruin your new suit"

Mumbo's cheeks flushed as he took the gloved hand and allowed himself to be pulled a safe distance onto shore before a thought occurred to him.

"It's a pretty warm night. Don't you want to take off your gloves?"

Grian gave him a very pointed look.

"Mumbo, have you ever heard of the word subtle? Besides, even if you saw the God symbol on my hand, you wouldn't recognize it"

"Wanna bet?" Mumbo blurted. He only wanted to get his attention and throw him off, but hadn't been expecting the fiery look in the mysterious God's eyes.

Grian tore the brown leather glove from his wrist and stuck his hand in Mumbo's face.

The symbol, swirling with detailed arrows was far more complex than any Mumbo had ever seen.

"Well?" Grian huffed.

"I..." Mumbo wanted to look at it for as long as possible. It was just so intricate. "Beautiful..."

He reached out to Grian's hand to take a closer look, but the God snatched his hand back, shoving his glove back on.

"There. I win. Come on"

Mumbo stood dumbly for a moment, trying to put two and two together.   
Fire + explosions + arrows? This was getting more confusing with every uncovered clue.

One thing was for certain. Grian wasn't like any God in the heavens. He was crass, sarcastic, blunt, and mysterious. He wasn't polite or seemed to care about customs. He didn't talk about himself or seem to want to. He was completely chaotic and unpredictable.

And Mumbo loved it.

**Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed the chapter, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	6. Purple

Mumbo drew his fingers through the air, followed by glittering red lines which hung suspended.

"So then we use an observer here..."

Grian hummed to show he was listening, chewing on his bottom lip.

"Which connects to the system that's already been produced. Then once these lines are fused..." Mumbo snapped his fingers and his drawing materialized into a working phonograph, which fell onto the table with a thud. "We get the finished product!"

Grian's mouth opened slightly in an _oh_ shape.

"I don't really understand anything you just said, but that's really cool"

Surprised by the complement, Mumbo ducked his head and scratched the back of his neck. Since entering the castle, Grian had relaxed a lot. He wasn't being nearly as snarky or crude, and wasn't unconsciously tugging his hood farther over his head to cover more of his face. Even his gloves lay discarded on the table, displaying his complex God symbol.

"Thanks... uh, do you want to see how it works?" Mumbo asked.

Grian nodded. Mumbo grabbed the crank and began to wind it up. After a couple rotations, the plateau began to turn and a low crackling came out of the speakers.

"I thought you said it played music"

"It-it does" Mumbo said, letting go of the crank. "But you need a record disk for that"

"A record...?"

"You'll see. Stress will send down the plans once I finish my business down here"

Grian's mouth scrunched up. The way his mask shifted on his face, Mumbo assumed he was furrowing his eyebrows.

"Stress?"

"You don't know Stress?" Mumbo was surprised. "The God of music?"

"Oh Music?! No way! I haven't seen her in-" he pressed his lips together as though he was cutting himself off, and continued in a lowered tone. "A long time. Stress huh? I didn't know she took on a chosen name"

He unconsciously ran a gentle finger along the golden rim of the pavillon.

"Do you... want to try turning the crank?" Mumbo asked, pushing the phonograph towards the small God.

Grian yanked back his hand as though he had been burned, clasping his fingers behind his back.

"No! Uh, no I really shouldn't. I'll probably break it"

"How could you possibly-"

"Don't ask. It's a very pretty device, so... I'll probably blow it up"

"Why would you do that?" Mumbo asked, his eyebrows crinkling in confusion.

"I don't _want_ -!" He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and sighed. "Never mind. Why don't we just get some sleep"

"Why do we need to sleep?"

Grian grabbed Mumbo's hand between both of his, making the tall man blush and unconsciously attempt to lace their fingers together.

"What- what are you doing"

"I'm taking your pulse Mumbo Jumbo, what the hell are _you_ doing?" He didn't wait for an answer, and thank Gods, because Mumbo couldn't imagine stringing together a sentence with the embarrassment squeezing his chest.

"Your pulse is slow because you're tired and hungry" he said, slapping Mumbo's hand away, and walking out of the room, waving at Mumbo to follow. "Human bodies need to be cared for. They're very sensitive and easily destructible. The last thing you want is to mess yours up and have to get a new one. The paperwork is a nightmare. Here's the kitchen"

They entered a sleek old fashioned room constructed mostly out of dark oak planks, complete with an entire wall dedicated to a roaring wood fire oven. It was incredibly cozy and comfortable.

"Do you know what you like to eat?" Grian asked, opening a cabinet.

"Oh, uh" Mumbo took the seat offered to him and stripped off his outer jacket. The kitchen was at least ten degrees warmer than the rest of the palace. "No I'm sorry. I've never eaten on earth before. Would my tastes be the same as they are in the heavens?"

"No" Grian replied. "Everything tastes good in the heavens no matter what. Plus you don't have to eat up there, it's just for pleasure"

He grabbed a half eaten loaf of bread from the hearth and sawed off a couple slices. Then he grabbed a skewer and stuck it in the oven opening, bringing out what looked a piece of mutton.

"Hope this is ok" he said, putting the meat in between the slices of bread and shoving the sandwich into Mumbo's hands before stepping back, crossing his arms. "Cause you're not getting anything else. I don't have much right now"

"It's perfectly fine" Mumbo assured him, taking a large bite to prove his point. He was surprised at the delicious taste of the juicy salty meat and crisp bread. "Mmfph! Is reay goo!"

Grian didn't respond but Mumbo swore he could see a small smile peaking out from under his mask.

"Are you not going to eat?"

"I'm fine" Grian said. "It's kind of hard to chew with the mask on"

"Well... why don't you take off your-"

"Let me show you to where you can sleep"

Mumbo barely had time to stuff the remaining food in his mouth before Grian had left the room. Clearly he had touched a nerve, and for whatever reason, Grian didn't want Mumbo seeing his face.

Which obviously did nothing to quell Mumbo's curiosity.

Grian led him up several flights of stairs to a master bedroom on the top floor of one the the tallest towers. It was absolutely beautiful, with walls covered in paintings, a walk in closet with silver doors, and completed with a large ivory bed covered in layers of purple silk.

"Wow..." Mumbo murmured, dragging a hand along the comforter. It was as soft as it looked.

"So... goodnight" Grian said, quickly closing the door behind him.

"Oh goodnight!" Mumbo called, sighing to himself as he heard Grian's fast footsteps receding down the hall.

 _He must really not like me._  
____________________________________________________  
Mumbo woke up early the next morning. He wasn't used to sleeping, and so far, wasn't loving the groggy sensation swimming through his head. After much procrastination, he dragged himself out from between the linens, shivering from the lack of warmth, remembering with annoyance the jacket he had left in the kitchen.

Maybe Grian had a coat or something in the closet he could borrow? Hopefully he wouldn't mind.

Pulling open the silver doors of the closet he was surprised to see dozens of cloaks hung up varying in color and texture, although most seemed to be made of cheap black or brown fabric.

Was this Grian's bedroom? Mumbo had assumed it was a guest room, but these were clearly...

Mumbo, pushed all the way to the back of the closet and found the purple cloak Grian had worn when Mumbo met him at his ascension party that perfectly matched the royal purple of the small Gods' wings.

He smiled at the memory, letting the precious silk fall between his fingers, and couldn't resist pulling the cloak off the hanger, tugging it around him. For such a thin fabric, it was surprisingly warm.

"Grian?" Mumbo's footsteps echoed down the stone halls as he descended the tower, only getting lost a couple times before making his way back to the main room where the phonograph still sat on the grand table.

A soft murmur from across the room caught Mumbo's attention and he turned to see Grian curled up on the brown leather couch under a thin wool quilt. His brown mask lay on the table next to him but he had tied a scarf around the top half of his face so Mumbo still couldn't see his nose or eyes. His breathing came quick and he let out a small whimper with every exhale as though he was crying in his sleep, making Mumbo's heart clench tightly in his chest. With a closer look he noticed Grian was shivering.

Mumbo quickly pulled the purple cloak off of himself and tucked it around the small God gently. Grian's breathing slowed and quieted as he clutched the cloak tighter around himself like a child.

_Cute._

Mumbo blinked and slapped his own face at the intrusive thought.

_What's wrong with you? I should go._

He quickly turned on his heel and made his way to the kitchen to grab his suit jacket.

"Where are you going?"

Mumbo jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Gah!" He placed a hand on his thumping chest, turning to look at Grian and leaning against the counter top. "I-I was just... um"

Grian cocked his head. His brown mask and cloak were back on, and he was clutching his purple cloak in his hands.

"You're leaving, right?"

"Uh, well, yeah. I still have to deliver my plans and go back up"

Grian's mouth tightened into a line and he turned.

"Bye then"

"Wait!" Mumbo called, dashing to catch up with him. He grabbed Grian's shoulder to turn him around but Grian flinched at the touch and jumped away. "I, um, th-thank you for-for letting me stay here. I-I really appreciate it"

Grian nodded once, not meeting his eyes.

"Maybe I'll, uh, see you up in the heavens?" Mumbo suggested.

"Yeah, probably not"

"Oh... well, um, maybe we can-"

"Don't forget your phonograph" Grian interrupted, walking over to the table and wrapping it in his purple cloak with the utmost care.

"Oh thank you. But don't you want your-"

"Keep it"

Mumbo blinked. Why was Grian so suddenly upset? And why didn't he want to keep such a beautiful purple cloak?

"Are you sure? It's so-"

"You should probably go now" Grian interjected yet again, looking him in the eye. "You probably want to get back up to the heavens, right?"

"Yeah..."

_No._

Grian walked over to the front door and held it open.

A strange tightness clenched Mumbo's chest, but he forced his feet to move.

"Goodbye I guess? I-I hope I can see you soon"

Grian didn't look at him, he just shook his head.

"Goodbye Mumbo Jumbo"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think.**


	7. A Different Perspective

**This is chapter six from Grian's perspective. I might do these specials from his perspective every now and then. Let me know if you like it, or if I should just stick to Mumbo's POV.**

"So then we use an observer here..."

"Mm hmm" Grian nodded, chewing on his lower lip. He had no idea what an observer was or why you would use it to play music, but he was too transfixed by the glittering red dust that hung in the air to interrupt. Wait was Mumbo still talking?

"... finished product!"

Grian flinched slightly as the machine materialized and landed with a thud on the table.

"Oh..."

How could such a beautiful contraption be made so easily?

He looked up and noticed Mumbo's nervous expression, making Grian smother his smirk.

_He thinks I don't like it. Better throw the poor guy a bone._

"I don't really understand anything you just did, but that's really cool!"

He didn't miss the way Mumbo ducked his head to try and cover the blush spreading across his face. 

_He must not get many complements._

"Do you want to see how it works?"

_Please!_

_Cool it_ Grian schooled himself. He crossed his arms and gave a simple nod.

The effect was immediately broken when Mumbo began to turn the crank and the circle in the middle started moving. Moving! Grian's jaw dropped slightly and he leaned forward to get a closer look, waiting for the music. However the only sound he could hear was a light crackling from what he assumed to be the speakers.

"I thought you said it played music"

"It-it does" Mumbo said, letting go of the crank. "But you need a record disk for that"

_Excuse me?_

"A record...?"

Mumbo grinned and waved his hand in the air.

"You'll see. Stress will send down the plans once I finished my business down here"

"Stress?"

 _Is that a God?_ Grian could have sworn that he knew every God. Even if he wasn't supposed to be up in the heavens, he always snuck up when there was a new ascension so he could update his record. But it's possible he could have missed one on accident...

"You don't know Stress?" Mumbo seemed surprised. "The God of Music?"

"Oh Music?! No way! I haven't seen her in-" he pressed his lips together before the number could fall from his lips. _This is why you don't get excited_. "A long time. Stress huh? I didn't know she took on a chosen name"

_And Stress doesn't really suit such a kind optimistic person. Although maybe that's the point. She did always like to play with words and-_

"Do you... want to to try turning the crank?"

Grian turned his attention back to the present and realized the way he was caressing the rim of the machine. He quickly yanked his hand back and clasped his fingers behind him so he couldn't make a mistake.

"No! Uh, no I really shouldn't. I'll probably break it"

"How could you possibly-"

"Don't ask. It's a very pretty device, so... I'll probably blow it up"

He ignored the tightening in his chest.

"Why would you do that?" Mumbo asked his eyebrows crinkling in blatant confusion.

"I don't _want_ -!" Grian pinched the bridge of his nose.

_I don't want to blow it up! Your machine is pretty and... I always destroy pretty things._

He sighed to calm his annoyance.

"Never mind. Why don't we just get some sleep"

"Why do we need to sleep?" Mumbo asked.

Grian rolled his eyes. Even he could see Mumbo's breath becoming more and more ragged as if he was going to collapse. The poor idiot probably didn't know what being tired and hungry felt like.

He reached out to Mumbo's wrist to check his pulse. It was important to make sure he wasn't in danger of fainting. However, Mumbo refused to stay still, his fingers wiggling around Grian's as though he wanted to hold hands.

"What- what are you doing?"

"I'm taking your pulse Mumbo Jumbo, what the hell are _you_ doing?" His pulse was slow but not dangerously. A bit of food and sleep would probably fix the problem. "Your pulse is slow because you're tired and hungry" he said, slapping Mumbo's hand away, and walking out of the room, waving at Mumbo to follow. "Human bodies need to be cared for. They're very sensitive and easily destructible. The last thing you want is to mess yours up and have to get a new one. The paperwork is a nightmare. Here's the kitchen"

Grian was particularly proud of his kitchen. It echoed old fashioned styles while still being decked out with the newest furnishings available.

"Do you know what you like to eat?" he asked, opening a cabinet.

"Oh, uh" Mumbo took the seat Grian pointed to and stripped off his outer jacket. "No I'm sorry. I've never eaten on earth before. Would my tastes be the same as they are in the heavens?"

"No" Grian replied. "Everything tastes good in the heavens no matter what. Plus you don't have to eat up there, it's just for pleasure"

_Lucky bastards._

He grabbed a half eaten loaf of bread from the hearth and sawed off a couple slices. Then he grabbed a skewer and stuck it in the oven opening, bringing out the last of the smoked mutton.

"Hope this is ok" Grian said, putting the meat in between the slices of bread and shoving the sandwich into Mumbo's hands before stepping back, crossing his arms. "Cause you're not getting anything else. I don't have much right now"

"It's perfectly fine" Mumbo assured him, taking a large bite to prove his point. His eyes widened as he began to chew. "Mmfph! Is reay goo!"

Grian felt a flutter in his stomach from the complement. It had been a long time since he'd received one.

"Are you not going to eat?" Mumbo questioned between bites.

_I don't have any food left._

"I'm fine" Grian lied. "It's kind of hard to chew with the mask on"

At least that part was true. It wasn't usually an issue however as he would normally be able to take off his mask and hood once entering the privacy of his cave.

Mumbo eyed him curiously.

"Well... why don't you take off your-"

"Let me show you to where you can sleep" Grian cut in. He knew where Mumbo was going and he wasn't about to open that can of worms.

Another panicked thought struck him as they began climbing the stairs to the west tower. Where were they going to sleep? He only had one bedroom: his own. He hadn't bothered to build a guest room because... well why would anyone visit him?

Oh well. Mumbo could have his bed. The beautiful purple themed bedroom had taken him nearly a year to perfect alone, and he felt rather proud for someone else to see it.

"Wow..." Mumbo murmured, dragging a hand along the comforter.

"So... goodnight" Grian said, quickly closing the door behind him and smacking a hand against his face.

_You don't have to be so rude._

"Oh goodnight!" He heard Mumbo call from the other side.

Grian shook his head and stocked down the hall. What a waste of energy! It's not as if he'll ever see Mumbo again after this. No one tended to want to see him more than once unless they had to.

"So stupid..." he grumbled grabbing a quilt from one of the closets. "Get off your high horse and be realistic. You've been rude to him all day. There is no reason for him to want to stay with you..."

Grian sighed as he sat down in the small couch, finally, _finally_ pulling down his hood and taking off his mask. He rubbed his eyes and pulled his fingers through his tangled curls.

This felt normal. This was his normal routine. Get home, take off the mask, see if there's food, avoid mirrors, go to sleep, rinse and repeat. And repeat, and repeat, and repeat, and repeat, and...

Grian sat up suddenly. If Mumbo got up before him and came downstairs he might see his face.

_Would that really be so bad? Mumbo doesn't seem the type to make fun or say cruel things..._

He shook his head. Better to not take the chance. Besides, his face was his own burden to bare.

Grian grabbed a thin scarf from the hook by the front door and wrapped it around his head. At least it might help him stay warm. The castle froze at night, and the only real blankets were wrapped around the young naïve God upstairs.

 _Enjoy it while it lasts_ Grian thought as he clutched the quilt around him. _No one stays for long._  
______________________________________________________  
Someone was touching him. Why was he being touched? No one ever touched him unless they were trying to hit him.

Grian tried to crack open his eyes, immediately cursing himself for forgetting the scarf wrapped around the top half of his skull.

He vary carefully peeled the fabric off, making sure to keep the left half of his face covered until he was sure that Mumbo was not in the room.

After quickly replacing the scarf with his mask, he looked down to see his purple cloak. Just seeing it made his heart clench painfully in his chest.

 _Why is this here? Did Mumbo... put it on me?_ _Why would he do that?_

A clattering from the kitchen forced Grian to quickly pull his brown cloak over his head and run to see Mumbo putting on his suit jacket with his back turned.

_He's leaving without saying goodbye? Am I truly that awful?_

"Where are you going?"

Mumbo jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Gah!" He placed a hand on his chest and turned to look at Grian, leaning his arm against the counter top. "I-I was just... um"

_You're leaving me._

"You're leaving, right?"

"Uh, well, yeah. I still have to deliver my plans and go back up"

Grian felt anger mount in his chest as his mouth tightened into a line and he turned.

"Bye then"

"Wait!" Mumbo called, dashing to catch up with him. Grian felt a tug on his shoulder and he quickly jumped away from the unusual feeling.

Mumbo seemed surprised by his reaction and quickly retracted his hand.

"I, um, th-thank you for-for letting me stay here. I-I really appreciate it"

Grian nodded once, his eyes stinging.

"Maybe I'll, uh, see you up in the heavens?" Mumbo suggested.

Grian huffed sarcastically.

"Yeah, probably not"

"Oh... well, um, maybe we can-"

"Don't forget your phonograph" Grian interrupted, walking over to the table. He couldn't have this thing sitting here when he was destined to destroy it. After considering his options, Grian wrapped the beautiful machine it in his purple cloak, making sure to be overly gentle with his actions.

Mumbo's eyes were downcast as he took it. He thumbed at the purple fabric.

"Oh thank you. But don't you want your-"

"Keep it"

_There are no good memories associated with that thing._

Mumbo blinked. He seemed so confused it made Grian want to cry.

"Are you sure? It's so-"

"You should probably go now" Grian interjected yet again, finally forcing himself to look Mumbo in the eye, hoping he looked as aggressive as he sounded. "You probably want to get back up to the heavens, right?"

"Yeah..."

_I knew it._

Grian walked over to the front door and held it open. Mumbo hesitated but eventually walked through the opening, turning back to Grian once he was in the other side of the threshold.

"Goodbye I guess? I-I hope I can see you soon"

Grian didn't look at him. He couldn't. He just shook his head.

"Goodbye Mumbo Jumbo"

_Please don't forget me._

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think, and let me know if I should keep sprinkling in these Grian POV chapters.**


	8. Records

_This is so awkward. You don't just go knock on random Gods' doors. It's not professional. I should really-_

"Good day Mumbo Jumbo! How may I help you?"

"Oh!" Mumbo turned and bowed his head respectfully. "Hello Language. It's nice to see you again"

"There is no obligation for such formality! Please call me Joe" the literature God requested, beckoning Mumbo into his palace. "Whatever brings you to my humble abode?"

"Oh... well um" Mumbo scratched the back of his neck. "I was wondering if I could have a look in your library?"

" _Bestimmt!"_ Joe exclaimed, giving him a polite smile.

The older God led Mumbo down several long hallways to a pair of large double doors which opened into a library the equivalent size of the entirety of Grian's castle.

Mumbo's jaw dropped as he looked at the thousands upon thousands of shelves of books, each perfectly placed in a polished glass case.

" _Schön_ isn't it?" Joe said happily. "I have a duplicate of every manuscript on earth in addition to every book of the heavens. Is there any scripture in particular I may assist you in locating?"

"I'm, uh, looking for a book on the history of the Gods" Mumbo said.

"Oh _magnifique!"_ Joe snapped his fingers, and a glass cabinet about twenty shelves up opened, allowing seven books to fly down from their perch and land in Joe's arms. "These are official records of the Gods, their function and occupation, their abilities, and their appearance, organized by the date of their ascension. Will this be sufficient?"

"Yes! Yes, that's perfect! Thank you"

Joe handed Mumbo the books and headed towards the opposite end of the room.

"Do feel at liberty to make yourself comfortable and avail yourself of my hospitality as long as it pleases you. I will be organizing Stress's new compositions over there"

Mumbo settled himself in a large cozy chair and spread the old books out on the table in front of him.

_What does my page look like?_

Mumbo flipped to the last page of the seventh volume, and cringed at the picture of his own face that greeted him.

**_God of Redstone_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Mumbo Jumbo_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Technopathy_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Tall, black hair, mustache, dark eyes, pale, red wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Shy, tepid, loyal, polite, organized, responsible_

"Yeesh" He muttered, touching the picture. His smile looked more like a grimace, and one eye was half shut as though he were attempting and failing to wink. Mumbo shuttered and closed the book, pushing it far away from himself before taking out the second volume and flipping until he found Stress's page.

**_God of Music_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Stress_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Sound manipulation_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Short, brunette, brown eyes, peach skin, pink wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Kind, enthusiastic, creative, friendly, trustworthy, compassionate_

Mumbo smiled and flipped to the front. If the book was organized in order of ascension, then the primaries should be first.

**_God of Life_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Xisuma_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Creating the souls of living creatures_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Dark hair, medium height, olive skin, white wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Calm, thoughtful, humble, optimistic, just_

**_God of Death_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Cub_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Taking the souls of living creatures_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Medium height, balding, white skin, black wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Confident, ethical, disciplined, principled, fair_

**_God of Earth_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _TFC_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Control over earth_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Tall, silver hair, white skin, brown wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Patient, generous, forgiving, attentive, gentle_

**_God of Ocean_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Cleo_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Control over water_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Short, red hair, green eyes, blue wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Quiet, strong, adaptable, resourceful, dutiful_

**_God of Weather_ **  
**_Chosen name:_ ** _Doc_  
**_Unique Ability:_ ** _Control over weather_  
**_Physical Description:_ ** _Tall, dark hair, bronze skin, grey wings_  
**_Personality Characteristics:_ ** _Tough, sincere, honest, innovative, dynamic_

Flipping to the next page, Mumbo was surprised to see that it had been completely covered with black ink.

"Joe?"

"Yes Mumbo Jumbo?"

Mumbo stood up, book in hand, and walked over to where the older God was sitting.

"Sorry to bother-"

"Do not grievance yourself! How may I assist?"

"Um, well" Mumbo held out the book. "Why is this page blacked out?"

Joe's eye twitched slightly at the sight of the inky paper, and he coughed roughly into his fist before responding.

"It is simply a border partitioning the primaries from the remaining Gods. Nothing to concern yourself with"

"Oh... but why-"

"If you will pardon me Mumbo Jumbo" Joe cut in standing up abruptly. "I have some urgent business to attend to. You are most welcome to abide as long as you wish"

"Oh, ok. Th-thank you"

Mumbo watched the God leave before returning to his seat.

_How strange. No matter. Now, if I'm going to find him, I guess I'll just have to go through every single God..._

______________________________________________________  
"Mumbo? Mumbo is everything ok?"

"Huh?!" Mumbo jerked his head away from the sixth volume to see Iskall looking at him with a concerned expression.

"I-Iskall? What are you doing here?"

"Joe let me in. I was worried because we haven't seen you in three days"

"Three days?" Mumbo looked at the clock. "Has it really been three days?!"

Without needing to eat or sleep he had completely lost track of time.

"Yeah" Iskall sat down next to him. "What have you been doing?"

"I've been, uh, reading these records over and over looking for Grian"

"Grian? The mask God you're obsessed with?"

"I'm not obsessed!" Mumbo snapped.

Iskall raised an eyebrow and Mumbo buried his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. I've read every record through at least eight times each and he just isn't there!"

"Mumbo..." Iskall put is hand on Mumbo's shoulder gently. "Are you sure he's... real? None of us have ever heard of him, and-"

"Of course he's real!" Mumbo cried in exasperation. "Grian is real!"

"Ok, ok, ok" Iskall soothed. "I believe you, I believe you, I just had to ask"

"I beg your pardon"

The two friends turned to see Joe standing in the doorway, his wings folded behind his back.

"Mumbo, the primaries wish to speak with you"

"M-me?" Mumbo squeaked. "Why, uh, why would they want that?"

"Mumbo calm down" Iskall hushed. "You don't have to be afraid of them. We're all equals"

"Yeah, yeah, you're right, ok"

Mumbo stood up.

"So-so I just go to, uh, Life-uh, Xisuma's palace?"

Joe gave him a simple nod and another polite smile.

Mumbo was getting really sick of the polite smiles.   
____________________________________________________  
"Good afternoon Mumbo Jumbo" Life greeted him.

Mumbo bowed his head at each primary in turn, trying to subtly wipe his sweaty palms off on his jacket.

"Good afternoon. Did I... do something wrong?"

"Of course not!" Ocean said kindly. "We just have a couple questions about-"

"Why were you looking through the records?" Weather cut in, making Ocean roll her eyes.

"Weather!" Death gave him a pointed look before turning back to Mumbo with a diplomatic smile. "We just thought that if you were looking for information on one of the Gods we may be of service"

"Oh, well, uh" Mumbo looked down at his feet. "I was just looking to find some more information. I-I mean I don't know the majority of the Gods, s-so I thought it would be good to, uh... learn"

"No other reason?" Life questioned. "We've heard through the grapevine that you've been asking about someone"

Mumbo glanced up.

"You know him?"

They primaries exchanged uncomfortable glances.

"Chaos... Chaos _used_ to be a God" Ocean explained slowly. "But he... he was destructive and-"

"Chaos?" Mumbo interrupted. "Grian is the God of Chaos?!"

"Grian?" Death arched his eyebrows. "He took on a chosen name?"

"Everybody hush" Life commanded putting up his hand. "Look Mumbo. I know he may seem intriguing and fun but he's dangerous. He doesn't like to make friends and-"

"He seceded" Weather cut in for the second time. "He left the heavens because he didn't like the rules or the responsibilities"

"You can... secede?"

"Well no" Death spoke up. "He's still a God, and can technically come up to the heavens whenever he wants, but he made it perfectly clear that he has no intention of ever coming back"

"But... I saw him at my ascension"

"What?!" Weather exclaimed, straightening up in his seat. "Where? When?"

"Weather"

Earth finally spoke up, slowly rising to his feet and looking down at Mumbo with a calm fatherly expression.

"Mumbo. We're happy you are taking an interest in the Gods. I know you've been struggling to speak with others, and the fact that Chaos was able to pull you out of your shell is wonderful!" His serene expression turned suddenly serious. "But Chaos is wild. He doesn't understand harmony or amity, and has no concept of risk. He _will_ end up harming you with no remorse. It would do you well to stay far _far_ away from him"

"O-ok" Mumbo took a step back and clasped his hands behind him. "I... I'm sorry"

"Oh no need for apology" Ocean said kindly. "We just want to help you"

"Of-of course. Thank you...?"

"Glad we got that straightened out" Life said, waking over to Mumbo and giving him a firm pat on the back, forcing him to begin moving down the hall. "No need to speak of this again now, right?"

"Um, no... no of course not"

"Good"

They had reached the threshold, and Life held the door open for him.

"Have a nice day"

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider giving it a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	9. Secrets and Daggers

_Knock knock knock... Knock knock knock... Knock knock knock_ _knock knock knock knock knock knock_

The door to the glittering crystal castle was yanked open as Mumbo's hand went up to knock again.

"Dear Gods Mumbo Jumbo what is it?!" Stress cried.

"Hi Stress!" Mumbo tried to act calm as he kneaded his tie between his fingers. "Have you finished your blueprint for the record?"

"That's what this is about? Yeah I finished it yesterday. I was about to send it down with-"

"No!" Mumbo interrupted loudly. "I-I mean" he cleared his throat. "L-let me take it down. Please"

Stress furrowed her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Mumbo is something wrong? You're acting really strange"

"What? Nah, no, of course not everything is totally fine" Mumbo lied through his teeth. "I've just, uh, never seen snow before and I'm looking for an excuse to go to the ground so I can see it"

Stress narrowed her eyes, making Mumbo fidget. It was a lame story, and he knew it, but if he didn't break, she would have no reason to believe he was lying.

After a 30 second stare down which felt as though it went on for 30 years, Stress finally sighed and shook her head.

"Fine Mumbo, knock yourself out. I don't know what you find so fascinating about the ground, but I'm glad you've found something you like"

She disappeared for moment, giving Mumbo a chance to take a couple deep breaths.

"Here" she said handing him a cylindrical package. "The plans are in there so don't lose them ok?"

"Yeah yeah yeah I won't. Thank you!"

"Mumbo are you sure you're ok?"

"Yep!" Mumbo called over his shoulder, already splaying his red wings. "See you later!"

**~~~**

"Mumbo this is an unbelievably stupid plan" Iskall repeated for what must have been the hundredth time.

"I'm not going to talk to him!" Mumbo said defensively. "I just want to watch him and form my own opinion. Technically I'm not going against the primaries"

"Yeah cause stalking isn't creepy at all" Iskall muttered under his breath.

"Hey! It's not stalking! It's just... watching... without... just shut up ok! I need to do this"

"But _why?!"_ Iskall pleaded. "Why do you care so much about him?"

"I don't know!"

Mumbo sat down and put his head in his hands.

"I really don't know Iskall. I just... like talking to him. I like being around him, and learning about him, and looking at-" Mumbo cut himself off, coughing violently. "I just need to see if he's really as bad as everyone says"

"What kind of God is he anyway?"

"I, uh, don't know" Mumbo lied. "They didn't tell me"

"Didn't you say he's been rather rude?"

"Yes"

"And he won't answer your questions"

"Yes"

"And he-"

"Do you have a point you're trying to make?"

Iskall sighed.

"I don't want you getting hurt"

Mumbo bit his lip.

"I'm sorry Iskall I know I'm putting you in a tough position, but I really need to do this. Are you still willing to keep my secret?"

Iskall gave him a sad smile.

"What are friends for"

____________________________________________________  
 ****

**PERSPECTIVE SWITCH**

Grian allowed himself a small smile at the blankets of snow that covered the forest.

He loved winter, he truly did. The snow made his bleak lonely forest look like a wonderland, and the human's had come up with some pretty amazing holidays. They were all fun, but Christmas was his favorite.

_I bet Mumbo would like Christmas..._

He shook his head and wiped the smile from his face.

_Enough daydreaming. Don't waste time._

Tightening the string of his mask and pulling up the hood of his red cloak, Grian set off towards Hermitville to make his daily trades. However, he couldn't help the crawling sensation under his skin that made him feel as though he was being watched.

After half and hour of walking, a twig snapped behind him and Grian faltered in his steps. He was well aware that a good thief or assassin wouldn't make such an amateur mistake, so if someone was trying to sneak up on him, they weren't very skilled.

Better to act as though he hadn't heard anything and keep a hand on the dagger he kept concealed on his person at all times.

Luckily the rest of the walk was silent, and by the time Grian reached the small town, he was kicking himself for being so paranoid.

"Morning Wels" he muttered, shaking snow off his boots as he walked into the post office. "Got anything for me?"

"Hey kid! Yeah, it's going to be a busy day. I think everyone is buying in bulk because they're worried about being snowed in"

"Well that's reasonable" Grian replied in a bored tone. "It's almost blizzard season"

"Yeah exactly. So take care of yourself ok?"

"Mmm" he grunted in a way that could mean anything. "Got my packages?"

Wels rolled his eyes and pushed a dozen boxes of varying sizes across the counter.

"Yeah, here. You're gonna have to make a couple trips"

Grian nodded and took as many as he could carry.

"Thanks"

Wels waved him out with a sigh.

"Poor kid"

**~~~**

The bell chimed as Grian pushed open the door to the tea house.

Jevin looked up from the front desk and groaned.

"Ugh. What the hell do you want?"

Grian forced a tight smile on his face.

"Where is your grandmother?"

"What's it to you?"

"I have a delivery for her" Grian said between gritted teeth. "Would you please get her for me"

Jevin walked out from behind the table and grabbed the packages from the small God.

"Thanks, freak. Now get out. We don't allow disfigured little queers in our store"

Grian took a deep breath to keep his temper from getting the better of him.

"Fine I'll go. But first you own me five diamonds"

"Excuse me?!"

"I _said_ -"

Jevin laughed cruelly and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"I don't owe you anything!"

He threw Grian out into the snow and spit on the ground. 

"Now for the hundredth time, don't come back!"

He slammed the door.

Grian allowed himself to lay in the snow for a moment and collect himself.

_Calm down, please calm down. You can't blame a teenager for being ignorant. Don't get angry, don't lose control._

A group of bushes several feet away rustled suddenly, catching his attention. Grian's left hand flew to his face to make sure his mask wasn't drooping while his right launched into his cloak for the head of the dagger.

"Who's there?! Is someone following me?"

More rustling. Suddenly a snow bunny leapt out from the bush and cocked its head at the small God.

Grian let go of his dagger and let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"I'm losing my mind..." he murmured, searching his pockets for food, only coming up with a couple shriveled carrots. He held them out to the rabbit. "Here. Do you want?"

The bunny backed up, clearly afraid.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't go"

Grian set the carrots on the snow and scooted back until he was a safe distance away. He watched the bunny creep forward and accept the treat with a small unconscious smile on his face.

**~~~**

The temperature began to fall fast as the sun began to hide behind the mountains.

 _At least I can't freeze to death_ Grian thought with a bitter laugh. _I wonder if Mumbo likes the cold..._

He clenched his jaw and dug his fingernails into his palms.

_Shut up, shut up, shut up._

Grian's teeth were chattering and his legs felt like lead by the time his cave entrance came into view.

_SNAP_

Another branch. This was too many times to be a coincidence, and for the third time that day, Grian reached into his cloak to clutch the dagger. He slowed his pace, allowing his stalker to catch up. Whoever it was, was now close enough that Grian could hear the soft crunch of snow under their feet.

He rolled his eyes.

_Amateur._

The footsteps came closer and closer, and Grian tightened his grip on the handle.

_Come on just a little closer..._

In a flash, the small God whirled around and grabbed the tall dark figure by the front of his suit jacket. The mysterious person let out a cry of surprise as they were flung to the ground and pinned down. Grian leaned his knee against their chest and pressed down their wrist with the other foot. One hand held the dagger to their throat while the other wrist was grabbed and pinned over their head.

"Wait!"

Grian froze.

_No..._

"Grian please!"

He leapt back from the person, dropping his dagger and clasping his hands behind his back.

"Mumbo?"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think! Next chapter will be coming very soon.**


	10. Arguments and Potatoes

Mumbo shrieked as he was thrown onto his back and his arms were pinned in the snow. A shiver went down his spine when something cold and metal was pushed against his neck.

"Wait!" He cried

The small God froze.

"Grian please!"

Grian practically jumped off of him, and Mumbo heard his knife clatter against a rock.

"Mumbo?!"

His voice sounded terrified and Mumbo felt his chest tighten.

"Yeah. Um... hi"

_Idiot. Stupid. That's the best you've got?!_

He heard the snap of fingers and a fire illuminated the situation. Grian was sitting in the snow several feet away, one hand gripping the end of a torch, the other hidden behind his back.

"Mumbo what the hell!"

Grian leapt forwards, his hands shaking as he pulled Mumbo up. He gripped Mumbo's chin gently and lifted his face so he could check his neck for injury.

Mumbo assumed that he was fine when the small God drew back with a sigh.

"Mumbo what the hell is wrong with you?!" Grian repeated, his voice trembling. "I could have hurt you!"

"But... but you didn't, I'm fine"

"That-that's not the point!" He cried, tugging his hood further over his face. "Why are you here?"

"I-I came to deliver the plans for the, uh, record"

"That doesn't answer my question Mumbo Jumbo. Why are you _here_ , stalking me in the dark?"

"Um..."

Mumbo racked his brain, trying to come up with a reason that didn't sound ridiculous.

"You're shivering"

Mumbo blinked and looked down at his shaking figure.

"Yeah... it's cold"

Grian's expression was hard and emotionless as he handed Mumbo the torch and untied the strings of his cloak.

"Wait Grian you don't have to-"

"Shut up"

He pulled the red cloak off of himself, revealing a head of curly blond hair and tattered black clothes. He shoved the cloak into Mumbo's arms and took the torch back.

"Put it on"

"But-"

"It will fit. It's too big for me anyway. Now hurry up unless you want the creepers to get you"

Mumbo opened his mouth to retort but Grian was already walking away, clearly refusing to acknowledge how cold he was even though he was shaking like a leaf.

Letting out a sigh, Mumbo wrapped the red cloak around his shoulders, surprised by how warm it was.

_No wonder he wears these things all the time._

He ran to catch up with Grian who was heading towards the opening of his cave.

"This is really warm, thank-"

"You still haven't answered my question Mumbo Jumbo"

"What?"

"Why are you here?" Grian asked, holding aside the vines that blocked the entrance.

"I... well..." Mumbo's mind raced. "If-if you never answer my questions... then... why should I answer yours?"

Grian looked at him in surprise, the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

"Mouthy today are we? Fair enough, I'm no hypocrite"

"Wait that worked?!" Mumbo gaped.

"Careful now. Don't ruin it by being yourself" Grian chided with a smirk.

Mumbo felt laughter bubble in his chest at the relaxed, teasing atmosphere between them. He reached out to shove him playfully, but as Mumbo outstretched his arm, Grian flinched back and used the torch to block his hand.

"I-I'm sorry" Mumbo stuttered. "I-I wasn't going to... I didn't mean-"

"Forget it"

His voice was so quiet, and so small Mumbo felt an overwhelming urge to pull the small God into his arms and squeeze him as tightly as he could.

_Bad idea. If he flinches when I touch his shoulder, who knows how he'd react if I tried to hug him._

The pair walked the rest of the way in silence, Grian having nothing to say, and Mumbo having so much he couldn't decide where to start.

"Are you hungry?" Grian asked once they entered the large castle.

"Uh, yeah, I am actually. I always forget to bring food or money when I come down"

"Well I don't have a lot right now since I wasn't paid in full today, but I'm sure I can find something"

At Grian's words, Mumbo felt residual anger rise in his chest.

_Jevin. Fucking asshole._

Mumbo had seen everything from the bushes, and it had been supremely difficult to stop himself from revealing his position and smacking the little punk across the face.

But of course, then Grian would know the extent of his stalking, and Mumbo didn't know if he had the strength to bear that kind of mortification.

In the kitchen, he sat on a high wooden stool, watching Grian as he flittered around, looking through drawers and cabinets.

It really was the first time seeing the small God without a cloak on, and the effect was a bit jarring. Grian's fluffy blond curls bounced as he moved around, reflecting the golden light of the wood fire oven. He was also inordinately skinny. The large flowing cloaks he usually wore billowed around his body, obstructing everything but his hands and the top part of his chest from view. But now, seeing him in a raggedy patched up tunic and slacks, the sickening view was fully displayed. Mumbo could even count his ribs through the side of his shirt.

"Ah!" Grian cried triumphantly, holding up a single potato. "Let me just throw this in the fire for a bit to bake and then you can eat, ok?"

Mumbo just, nodded, not really listening as he took in the whole view of Grian's face.

Unlike his body, his face wasn't horribly skinny, just normal. Although his mask (today a black one with a red swirly design) still covered his forehead, nose, and cheekbones, Mumbo could see freckles dotting his chin and neck. It would've been endearing if his collar bones didn't produce such large shadows on his torso.

All in all, the old God looked much like a malnourished 16 year old boy.

"Ready!" Grian trilled, placing a plate in front of Mumbo with a steaming potato on it, and bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Thanks" Mumbo picked up the fork that was offered. "What are you eating?"

"Not hungry" Grian said with a shrug, sitting down across the table and taking off his black gloves.

"We can share" Mumbo offered, pushing the plate so it was between them.

Grian looked up with a confused expression.

"Why? I thought you said you were hungry?"

"But you should probably eat something too"

"I ate earlier today"

Mumbo bit his tongue. He knew it was a lie, but if he called him out, then he'd have to admit that he had been watching Grian all day.

"I'm not _that_ hungry" he stressed. "Come on"

"I'm fine"

"Grian would you please just-"

"What's the big deal?"

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"Mumbo I just don't understand. Why would you give me something you want?"

"Because I want to!" He yelled.

Silence fell over the room. Mumbo felt his face flush as Grian looked down at his hands.

"Look, I'm sorry, I just-"

"Why are you being nice to me?" Grian whispered.

Mumbo blinked.

"What?"

"I've been nothing but rude to you, and people... people don't like me" he sounded like he was struggling to get the words out. "So why are you so nice to me?"

For the second time within an hour, Mumbo felt the urge to wrap the small God in his arms.

"I... I just... why not?"

"That's not an answer"

Mumbo took a breath.

"I... like... talking to you. I like... that you make fun of me. I just like... you. You're... you're my friend"

Grian looked up, and Mumbo could see his eyes shining behind his mask.

"Your friend?" His voice croaked. "I'm your friend?"

Mumbo nodded, everting his eyes as he tried to quell the rising heat in his cheeks.

"I... thank you" Grian smiled a bit, turning his back so Mumbo couldn't see the tears rolling out from under his mask.

_I have a friend._

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	11. The Waiting Game

"I... I don't know if I can do this"

"Well certainly not like that, you aren't even holding it right" Grian said with an eye roll. "Like this"

He pulled the string of his bow taught in demonstration.

"Grian I've-I've never used a bow and arrow before. Do we really need to hunt?"

"Do you want to eat?"

"Well... well yes, but-"

"Then we have to hunt" Grian stated matter of factly. "Besides, you were the one who said and I quote: um, uh, Grian, c-can you please, uh, I mean, um, I would love t-to, uh, see how you, um-"

"I-I do not stutter that much!" Mumbo exclaimed, fighting the urge to shove the smirking God.

"Uh huh, yeah sure. Anyways, if you're too scared, then you don't have to"

_Don't take the bait, don't take the bait, don't take the super incredibly obvious bait..._

"I'll do it"

Grian grinned mischievously.

"Perfect. Follow me"

He slung a quiver filled with arrows over his shoulder and began to move quickly between the trees, forcing Mumbo to jog to catch up.

They fell into a comfortable silence, strolling side by side while the early morning sun reflected across the snow, making the forest seem as though it were glittering.

Something about the natural beauty of the ground always settled Mumbo's nerves a bit, or at least as much as they could when in Grian's presence.

_Why does he make me nervous? I don't think he's dangerous, and he doesn't seem to have any intention of hurting me, so... why?_

He glanced sideways at the small God, his dark green cloak and black mask contrasting starkly with the white blanketed trees.

He wished that Grian would take his hood down. Mumbo wanted to see his hair in the full light of day. What he _really_ wanted was for Grian to take off his mask, but the chances of such a miracle were most likely slim to none.

"Enjoying the view Mumbo Jumbo?"

_Oh Gods_

"S-sorry" he mumbled, quickly looking away.

"Oh it's fine, I know I'm beautiful" Grian said in a way too serious voice, pretending to flip imaginary hair over his shoulder.

Mumbo doubled over in laughter, his previous embarrassment instantly forgotten as Grian cracked a smile and chuckled quietly under his breath.

_I wonder what it sounds like when he actually laughs..._

Grian hardly smiled as is, and when he did, it was usually a smirk coupled with a chiding remark. 

But those few times when he did truly smile, when he thought Mumbo wasn't looking, the rough exterior the small God had built would crumble, if only just a little bit, and Mumbo got a slightly clearer view of the mysterious person inside that did its best to stay hidden.

"Mumbo! Look"

Grian's harsh whisper cut through Mumbo's thoughts as his gaze was directed towards a reindeer a couple yards away. Grian tugged his sleeve so they were kneeling behind a bush together.

"Go on"

"Wha- me??" Mumbo gasped, clutching the bow in his hand so tightly his knuckles turned white. 

"Uh, yeah, duh" Grian said, handing Mumbo an arrow. "Just try your best ok? Aim for the eyes"

_Okokokokok I can do this... don't embarrass yourself_

**~~~**

"Wow. I can't believe you missed every shot" Grian muttered.

"You don't have to rub it in" Mumbo groaned, massaging his blistered hands. "And this hurts! No wonder mortals pay others to do their dirty work, I can't imagine having to live like this"

Grian huffed softly to himself, shrugging his skinned rabbits higher up on his shoulder.

"Hey, look, don't get upset. I'm just giving you a hard time. It takes a while to get used to this stuff"

"Yeah I'm pretty useless on the ground. Thank Gods I live in the heavens" Mumbo chuckled, missing the clench in the small God's jaw at his senseless words.

"Yeah... bless the primaries" Grian said with a sigh.

"What?"

"For our lives, for our health, for our happiness, and for our wealth, bless the primaries, one through six. When in doubt, be devout"

He glanced up to meet Mumbo's wide eyes.

"It's an old blessing. I doubt anyone uses it anymore... I mean I understand why, it's absolutely ridiculous"

"...why?"

"Why what?"

"Why is it... ridiculous?"

Grian snorted and rolled his eyes.

"The primaries aren't special. At least... not anymore. W- they used to be when its was _only_ the primaries, but that was only at the very beginning. There are hundreds of Gods now, each with their own skills and purposes. To keep around a blessing just for primaries? How self centered can you get"

"Well I mean... there are blessings for each individual God, so I mean, it kind of makes sense" Mumbo argued. "Mortals pray to Wealth when they want success, they pray to Life to bless them with a child, they pray to Laughter for happiness..."

"They pray to you for progress" Grian put in with a small smile.

Mumbo chuckled softly.

"That's true. And they pray to you for..."

An awkward silence fell over the two as he trailed off.

_What would one pray to the God of chaos for? Revenge? A curse?_

He desperately wanted to ask, but it was too late now to tell Grian that he knew what he was.

_When he trusts me, he'll tell me himself._

"Um, c-can you tell me the blessing again?"

Grian's lips twisted in confusion, but shrugged and repeated it.

Mumbo snapped his fingers.

"I knew something bothered me about that"

"I know, pretentious right?"

"No no no" Mumbo shook his head. "I mean yes, but, one through six. There are only five primaries"

"Mn" Grian grunted in a slightly strained voice. "My mistake. It's been a while"

"How long?"

"A while" he snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Mumbo bit his tongue and sighed.

_He'll tell me when he's ready_ _. I just need to be patient._

**I hope you enjoyed the** **chapter! I know it's kind of short and not very good, and I'm sorry about that. I'm in the middle of midterms right now and I haven't had a lot of time to write so please bare with me. If you did enjoy the chapter, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	12. The Beauty of Chaos

Grian watched Mumbo devour his share of rabbit stew with vigor, clearly not used to the sensation of hunger.

"Do you want seconds?"

"Yes please!" He glanced at Grian's bowl which was still three quarters full and frowned. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I ate"

"Aren't you going to eat more?"

"Eh" Grian shrugged as he pushed his helping across the table and took Mumbo's empty bowl. "I ate all I need"

Mumbo looked as though he wanted to argue, but his stomach growled loudly before he could, making Grian smirk and nod towards the stew.

"Eat. I don't need you complaining all night"

Mumbo flushed and picked up the spoon.

"I-I don't complain that much"

"Oh really? Grian, my hands hurt! Grian, I'm hungry! Grian, I'm cold! Grian, I don't want to hunt! Grian, I can't shoot a bow to save my life!"

Mumbo's jaw dropped and he sputtered madly, a dark scarlet blush creeping up his neck to stain his cheeks.

"I-I... y-you-"

"Ah just eat your soup" Grian chided, suppressing a laugh at the pout he received from the young God.

_I wouldn't tease him so much if he wasn't so reactive._

After Mumbo finished eating and his face had returned to its normal complexion, the two retired to the living room.

"Do you, um, want to see how the record works with the phonograph?"

Grian did his best not to show any excitement but he couldn't help a slight smile from curving his lips.

"Sure I guess"

He sat with his cheek leaning against his hand, watching as Mumbo did his beautiful display of drawing glittering red lines through the air.

Within a minute, the strange music machine was clattering down on the table, and Mumbo was carefully placing the strange black disk in the center.

Grian's eyes widened in surprise as light classical music began floating from the speakers.

"How are you doing that?!"

Mumbo chuckled lightly making Grian kick himself for getting so obviously excited.

"Do you... like it?"

Grian nodded, allowing himself to relax a bit under Mumbo's relieved expression.

_He's your friend now. Don't be so... yourself._

He felt the tight squeeze in his chest, the well known self reminder of his own worthlessness, and took a breath.

_He showed you something amazing, so you need to give him something._

"Do you want to see something cool?"

Mumbo nodded, and Grian beckoned him to follow him out the door.

They walked across the frozen ground, the silence of the night permeating their eardrums.

"Where are we going?" Mumbo asked, shivering slightly.

"We need to get to a place where humans can't see us" Grian responded, shrugging off his cloak and giving it to the younger God. If it hadn't been dark he probably would've seen the dark blush that spread across Mumbo's face at the repeated gesture.

They walked across the forest until they were completely shadowed by a large hill. Grian stopped and backed up from Mumbo, tugging off his gloves.

"Stand back a bit ok?"

He rubbed his hands together until the familiar warmth of fire began to crackle between his fingers. When he deemed it hot enough, Grian cupped his hands together, focusing on the growing heat in his palms while simultaneously building the intensity of explosives in his stomach.

"Grian? is everything-"

_CRACK_

Grian threw the ball of light into the air and it exploded into a dazzling golden firework ten feet above their heads.

Mumbo flinched at the sound but his fear was instantly replaced by wonder at the spectacle before him.

"That's... that was..."

The tremor in his voice made Grian's stomach knot up and he rushed forwards.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you! You didn't get hurt right?"

"Beautiful"

Grian felt his face flush beneath his mask at the profound look of warmth in Mumbo's eyes as he stared down at him.

"I... thank you?"

Mumbo opened his mouth to speak but a rustling from within the trees caught both of their attention.

_Hissssssssssssss_

"Get back!" Grian yelled pushing Mumbo away just in time as the creeper before them exploded. 

"Ah!" Mumbo yelled, falling to the ground. "What the hell is that?!"

"Creepers! Get up and get behind me"

_Mumbo I'm so sorry. You're going to see what I am._

**~~~**

Mumbo rubbed the bruise on his arm as he stepped behind the small God. He heard Grian snap his fingers and a torch lit up the area around them. Mumbo felt his heart skip a beat at the mass of green bobbing heads creeping towards them in the trees.

"Take this!"

Grian pushed the torch into Mumbo's hands and took a step forward.

"What are you going to do?!"

He heard Grian let out a harsh breath as he raised his hands.

"Just... stay behind me"

"But-"

He was cut off as a creeper emerged into the clearing and Grian flicked his fingers.

The creeper exploded immediately, and Mumbo shrank back against a tree, doing his best to cover his ears with the torch still in hand.

Creeper after creeper emerged from the forest, each one being instantly obliterated by the God of chaos. It felt like hours before the forest was once again silent, and Mumbo finally stood up.

Grian was shaking and sweating, clearly exhausted by the immense level of energy he had used. He took a step towards Mumbo and fell to his knees.

"Grian!"

He knelt before him and reached out a hand to the small God, but Grian startled badly, flinching back and shaking his head slightly.

Mumbo cursed himself inwardly.

_Idiot! Don't you ever think?_

"Grian, just let me help you up"

"N-no. I might... you're not hurt right?"

Mumbo shook his head, trying to lean his face so he could see Grian's eyes.

"No I'm fine"

"Ok... ok... good"

Grian leaned sideways against a nearby tree and slowly pulled himself to his feet by the lower branches.

"I'm... so sorry for bringing you out here. You should... you should probably go back"

"Back where?"

"Back to the heavens"

The wrecked tone of his voice made Mumbo press his nails into his palms to keep from wrapping his arms around him.

"Grian, I'm fine! You protected me"

"I pushed you to the ground"

Mumbo blinked.

"You were just trying to keep me from getting blown up. I'm fine, really, I promise"

"But you could have been-"

Grian's eyes widened and he grabbed the front of Mumbo's shirt. Before Mumbo could react he was thrown sideways across the clearing, landing hard on his backside.

_Hissssssssssssss_

"Grian!"

He looked up just in time to see the flash of white light as the stray creeper exploded and Grian was thrown backwards, a sickening crack echoing through the forest as he smacked against a tree and fell into the snow, unmoving.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	13. Unconscious Thoughts

"Oh my word, oh Gods, oh shit!"

Mumbo scrambled to his feet, wincing slightly at the pain in his back from landing on the frozen ground. He ran over to Grian and knelt down next to his body.

"Grian?"

No answer.

"Grian? Please, are you ok?"

Silence.

Mumbo ran his hands through his hair in a panic.

_Ok ok ok. He's a God, he can't die._

The snow around them began to stain red and Mumbo felt his stomach jolt horribly.

_But he can still feel pain!_

He reached out a hand to roll him onto his back but froze inches away.

_He doesn't like to be touched... I don't have his permission to touch him... but he's hurt..._

A rustling in the bushes behind him made Mumbo whip his head around to see a creeper sneaking towards them.

No choice.

"Please forgive me" he whispered as he threw the torch to the ground and scooped the small God unto his arms, pulling him close as he began to run. Mumbo could feel the heat from Grian's blood staining his clothes.

In the utter darkness of the forest, Mumbo couldn't tell where he was going or where they had come from. He just continued to run until his lungs felt as though they were on fire and none of his surroundings looked familiar.

"I'm sorry, I need to put you down ok?"

He laid the still unconscious body in the snow and took a deep breath.

"Ok... we need a place to rest"

Mumbo raised a hand and quickly drew through the air. He snapped his fingers and caught the redstone torch before it hit the ground. The bright red light illuminated the ground around him, doing absolutely nothing to clear up his confusion.

It took twenty minutes before he noticed a small cave buried between the trees.

_Better than nothing._

"I found a cave Grian. I think we can probably wait there until morning, ok?"

Of course he didn't get a reply, but he didn't care. Talking to Grian helped to settle his nerves a bit, especially as he lifted the tiny figure up again and he felt Grian's head loll against his neck. Mumbo sucked in a breath and shivered as snow fell from the blond hair and melted down his neck.

Once in the cave, he gently laid Grian on the ground and propped up the torch so it illuminated the small damaged body.

Grian's trousers had holes down the front, mostly on his knees and ankles where large burns were already starting to scab over from the immense cold they had been subjected to. His hands were cut up and bleeding terribly, and from the slight popping sound that could be heard with every rise of his chest, Mumbo suspected he had broken several ribs. What really caught Mumbo's attention however was his face, where the black and white checkered mask he had been wearing was beginning to slide down.

Mumbo's fingers twitched as his desire to check Grian's face for damage and his knowledge that he didn't want his face seen clashed violently in his mind.

_There's blood under the mask... but I don't have his permission... but I need to see what I can do to help... but he'd be so angry..._

After several minutes of contemplation, Mumbo's curiosity won the battle, and he inched towards the small body.

Lifting Grian's head slightly, he felt something hot and sticky on the back of the blond hair, and lifted his hand to see a pooling of blood in his palm.

_He hit the back of his head on the tree..._

Mumbo laid Grian's head in his lap, careful to keep pressure on the injury as he resituated himself so that he could lean against the wall of the cave, and shrugged off the cloak to lay it across Grian's body.

After taking a deep breath, Mumbo took the sides of the mask and carefully lifted it from his face. 

Grian's eyes were closed, blood dripping onto his cheeks from a wide gash on his forehead.

That, however, was not what made Mumbo's blood run cold.

Deep jagged scars branched across the left side of his face, crossing over his eye and disappearing into his hair. There were scars across the right side as well, but they didn't compare to the severity on the left. Looking closer, he noticed the skin around one of the scars was pinched and denticulated as though someone had tried to sew it up but failed to do so.

Mumbo unconsciously ran a finger across the thickest one, shuddering at the rough texture of the torn skin.

_These are not from the creeper..._

"I thought injuries fade if you're a God..." he murmured, brushing the blond hair gently with his fingertips. "How did you get these?"

The body beneath him whimpered and shifted slightly as though he had been heard. Mumbo startled badly, his hands flying behind his back as though they had been burned.

Grian thrashed his head back and forth, his fists clenching and unclenching as he cried quietly in his comatose state.

"Grian? Grian what's wrong?" Mumbo whispered.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Grian babbled, tears streaming down his cheeks, yet very much unconscious. "I'm a good person, I promise I'm good. Please don't leave me. I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, I'm... good..."

His voice died down gradually, his movement stilled, and his tears slowed as Mumbo reached out tentatively to stroke his cheek.

"Shh shh it's ok, it's ok, you're ok, everything's ok" he murmured gently, fighting to keep his voice from shaking. "You're good. You're so good"

After several minutes, Grian once again fell silent and unmoving, and Mumbo relaxed back against the wall.

_What happened to you to get those scars? Why are you always alone? Why are you so scared?_

"Thank you for protecting me" Mumbo whispered into the silence. "I promise to protect you"

_I won't let you be scared._

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'm sorry it's so short, I'm still in the middle of exams. If you did enjoy, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	14. Crime and Punishment

**I hope you enjoy this chapter brought about entirely by my procrastination!**

_Left foot. Right foot. Hands- ow! Ok, not broken. Ah- ribs. Deal with that later. Head..._

Grian lifted his hand carefully to feel his forehead, which was throbbing dreadfully. He let out a relieved sigh when his fingers scratched the rough exterior of his mask still tightly clinging to his face, most likely using his blood as glue.

He winced as he tilted his chin and felt a stab of pain emanate from the back of his head, curling up to wrap around his temples.

Slowly and carefully he wrenched open his heavy eyelids and took some deep breaths, waiting for the white and purple fireworks popping in his field of vision to fade.

Lying on his back, the first thing he saw was stone.

_Ok, I'm in a cave... how did I get here?_

Shifting slightly to the right, he was startled to see the slumped form of Mumbo above him.

_Did he carry me? Am I... laying in his lap?!_

Grian jumped up way too fast, silently cursing under his breath as his burned legs dragged against the ground and his vision swam dangerously.

Mumbo grunted and furrowed his brow but did not wake up.

_Thank Gods. Maybe I can sneak away and try and fix myself up..._

He sighed and struggled to his feet.

_Damned creeper... no no it's not its fault for doing what its programmed to. It's your fault for being reckless. Remember, your injuries are a representation of your own failure, not anyone else's._

Grian limped over to a nearby creek and knelt at the bank. Taking a quick look around, he removed his mask and splashed his face, shivering from the cold as the red dyed water dripped from his chin onto the snow.

_I can't believe he carried me. No one has touched me in centuries... unless they were trying to hit me... not that I don't deserve it_

Grian gritted his teeth as he pulled his gloves back on, the lacerations and burns covering his hands screaming at him to stop. By the time they were fully covered, he was shaking from the pain and struggling to move his swollen fingers.

_Ok, ok. Get over yourself and calm down. Don't be so dramatic._

He moved to his legs, wrinkling his nose at the swollen purulent filled burns stretching from his knees to his ankles.

_Ugh, look at what a mess you made. Mindless, destructive, ugly, waste of space-_

"Grian?"

Grian grabbed his mask and quickly fastened it back on before turning to see Mumbo standing a few feet away, a worry line creasing his forehead.

Grian stood slowly, clenching his jaw as to not show any weakness and crossed his arms.

"Yes?"

"Um..." Mumbo fidgeted with his sleeve. "How-how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine" Grian lied, refusing to wince as one of the gashes on his hand split open within his glove. "Are you? Are you hurt?"

He watched as Mumbo's cheeks dusted with pink and he wiped his palms off on his jacket.

_How can he be warm? Does he have a fever?_

"I'm fine. I'm really more worried about you though. We should really go back to the castle so you can rest"

Grian opened his mouth to argue, but felt all fight leave him at the determined look on Mumbo's face.

"Sure. Whatever"

They walked in silence, Mumbo constantly stealing glances and twitching his fingers as though he was going to reach out and grab onto the smaller God at any moment.

It put Grian very on edge, and by the time they had made their way back, he could feel the blood soaking through his gloves from the intensity with which he had been clenching his fists.

"You should go"

"Huh?"

Grian looked at him with what he hoped to be a threatening gaze.

"Winter is rough on the ground and I have things to do down here. You should go back to the heavens. You were saying you wanted to anyways"

"But that doesn't mean-" Mumbo cut himself off, chewing nervously on his bottom lip.

Grian frowned.

"Yes?"

"But that doesn't mean I want to leave you"

Grian's jaw dropped slightly in shock and he took a step back.

 _Please don't leave me, please don't leave me, please don't leave me_ his own voice echoed in his mind.

He pressed his nails into his bleeding palms.

_No. He deserves better._

"Mumbo you have to go"

"But I want to help you"

"I'm fine"

"No Grian, you're not fine"

Grian narrowed his eyes.

_He always backs down quickly. Why the sudden will to fight back?_

"Mumbo, no"

"Try to see my point of view"

"Mumbo-"

"Please, trust me!"

He took a step forward and Grian took a step back.

"You don't understand"

"I-"

"I'm not good for you to be around"

"Grian-"

He took another step forward and Grian took a step back.

"Can't you just go?"

"No! You're hurt and I want to help you!"

"I'm fine!"

"Why are you so stubborn?!"

"Please!" Grian yelled, everting his eyes as his voice cracked dangerously. "I need to be alone! I need you to leave!"

Mumbo looked down at his hands for a minute, his expression that of a grieving widow.

"Is that really what you want?" He asked in a quiet voice.

_No. Never._

"Yes"

Mumbo nodded stiffly and stepped back.

"Ok. Fine, I'll leave for now, but I'm coming back tomorrow"

Glittering particles surrounded the tall God, his wings materialized as he floated into the air.

Grian turned his back and began to leave as the threat of tears became more and more painful to fight off.

_Please don't lie to me._

"You're not coming back"

"Grian"

He looked at Mumbo out of the corner of his eye and saw a soft smile on his face.

"I promise I'll see you soon"

With a loud swishing noise, the redstone God was sucked into the clouds and Grian was left standing there, the terrifying sensation of hope brewing in his chest.

**~~~**

"Mumbo Jumbo! Delightful to see you again!"

"You too Langua-um- Joe. C-can I use your library?"

"Certainly!"

Joe led him back to the massive room, Mumbo chewing on his lower lip the whole time.

"Do you have books on... medicine"

"Of course Mumbo. Taking an interest in healing?"

"Yeah... something like that"

"Here we are"

Joe tapped the side of a glass case holding thousands of books. Mumbo gulped.

"All... all of the them?"

"Yes" Joe said, looking at his collection with a fond smile. "Every book on medicine and anatomy in human history"

"I see..." Mumbo ran a hand across a 14th century encyclopedia on the skeletal system. "Does this... I mean, do these apply... to Gods too?"

Joe crinkled his eyebrows.

"Gods? You can not get injured in the heavens"

"I know, I know, I mean when we're on the ground" Mumbo explained quickly. "We can get hurt right?"

"Yes of course. Corporeal bodies are very fragile" Joe twirled a pencil between his fingers as he spoke. "They don't age, and obviously you can't die, but you can receive every other injury a regular human body can get"

"Ok, ok... how do we heal?"

"We can fully recover from any injury, it just might take some extra time"

"How about... scars?"

"Well, for a God, they should fade after three days of an injury... unless they want them"

Mumbo blinked.

"Want what? The scars? Why would anyone want them?"

Joe gave him a slight smile.

"Mumbo, human psychology is very complicated, and you need to embrace that if you're planning on spending so much time in your corporeal body"

"Ok, but I still don't understand"

"Alright... you have met False the God of War, yes?"

Mumbo nodded.

"She is covered with scars, even up here in the heavens because those scars are from the battles she's won. She's proud of them and wants to remember her accomplishments. Does that make sense?"

_But Grian's not proud of his_

"So... that's the only reason a God would have scars?"

"As far as I'm aware. It's a very interesting concept though, I've never put much thought into it. Where is all this coming from Mumbo?"

Mumbo felt his palms start to sweat and he everted his eyes.

"No reason-uh-nowhere. Just... curiosity"

Joe narrowed his gaze, but didn't press for details.

"Very well. Please stay as long as you'd like"

"Thank you"

Mumbo sighed and pulled a couple books from the cases, preparing himself for a long night.

"Mumbo"

He looked up to see Joe peaking out from behind one of the bookshelf's.

"It occurs to me that if our sustained injuries are based on human psychology, then it's probable that scars could remain on a corporeal body if the God in question feels as though they are deserving of their trauma"

Mumbo felt his heart clench horribly.

"Guilt and shame are very strong emotions" Joe continued, unaware of the overwhelming panic overtaking the tall God's body. "So if a God felt that they deserved punishment-"

"Stop!" Mumbo cried. "Um... sorry, I'm sorry... please stop? I-I'm just going to start reading... if that's ok"

He put his head in his hands as Joe left. 

_Grian... what happened?_

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and comment to let me know what you think!**


	15. Wine and Spilled Secrets

Mumbo shifted the heavy bag in his arms, which was threatening to spill its contents all over the ground, and knocked rapidly on the heavy oak door.

_Come on, come on, please be home..._

When the door remained closed, Mumbo sighed and repeated his action, this time only stopping once he heard footsteps approaching on the other side.

"Who the hell-"

Mumbo smiled widely as Grian cut himself off and stared blankly at the tall God before him.

"What... why..." Grian stammered, clearly struggling to collect his thoughts.

"I brought groceries" Mumbo interrupted, pushing past the entrance and heading towards the kitchen without a second glance. "Come on! I'll cook"

Grian followed slowly, his mouth opening and closing as though he was in a trance, his eyes never leaving Mumbo's face.

It wasn't until Mumbo had unloaded his bag onto the table and Grian saw the enormous quantity of food that he managed to find his words.

"Mumbo what the hell is this?! Where did you get this? Why are you here?"

Mumbo smiled to himself, having fully expected and prepared for a reaction like this.

"I got it from the market in town because you never have any food and you need to eat. I'm here because I want to be, and I told you I would be back in a day. Did you think I was lying?"

Grian shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

"I just didn't expect you to actually..."

He trailed off, staring at his hands and avoiding Mumbo's gaze.

Mumbo clicked his tongue.

"Anyways, is there anything in particular you want to eat? I brought a selection since I'm not really sure what you prefer"

Grian swept a glance over the mountain of food Mumbo had dumped on his table and picked up a loaf of bread.

"Mumbo this is white bread! Do you know how expensive this is? And is this a whole chicken?! Where did you find strawberries this time of year?!"

"That's hardly an answer to my question" Mumbo chided with a grin, making Grian widen his eyes in surprise.

"When did you get so snippy?"

"I learned from the best"

Grian crossed his arms and huffed, but couldn't completely fight off the smile that quirked the corners of his mouth.

"Touché. Fine then _Mumbo Jumbo_ " he stressed Mumbo's name the way he always did when he wanted to make fun of him. "Do you even know how to cook"

"Uh..." Mumbo blushed slightly and picked up a knife. "Well... how hard can it be? I'm sure I can figure it out"

Grian rolled his eyes and walked so he was standing near the oven.

"Just let me-"

"No" Mumbo interrupted putting up his hand. "You just sit ok? You're still recovering"

"From what?"

Mumbo crinkled his forehead.

"Your injuries? From... the creepers?"

"Oh that" Grian shrugged. "It's not a big deal. We're Gods. We heal fast"

"Yeah... but still" Mumbo couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling twisting in his stomach from Grian's casual tone. "Can't you just let me cook for you?"

Grian stared at him for a long time before sighing and taking a seat at the table.

"Fine. But I'm staying in here. I don't fancy you burning down my kitchen"

Mumbo felt a wide smile stretch across his face.

"Don't worry, I won't! Just sit back and relax, ok?"

**~~~**

"For the love of the primaries! What the hell were you thinking Mumbo?!" Grian yelled, throwing a pot of water over the redstone God and putting out the flames that were spreading up his sleeve.

Mumbo coughed and spluttered.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know that alcohol was flammable, so I didn't think-"

"No you didn't!"

Grian grabbed his hand to study his skin, and Mumbo felt heat crawl up his neck as Grian's fingertips brushed his arm. Although the seizing of his hand had been rough and hasty, his touch was surprisingly gentle and delicate.

"You're lucky you didn't get hurt!" Grian snapped, dropping Mumbo's hand and crossing his arms.

"I know... I'm sorry I scared you"

Grian sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It's fine, ok? Just... let me finish cooking"

Mumbo shook his head vehemently.

"No, I told you, I don't want you doing any work"

"I'm not taking no for an answer. You just set yourself on fire, so at the very least I'm helping you"

"You're so stubborn"

"Thank you"

Mumbo smiled slightly.

"Fine, you can help me... I know it's hard to believe... but I might need some help"

Grian huffed and rolled up his sleeves.

"Move over amateur, let me show you how it's done"

Mumbo watched in silence as Grian moved gracefully through the motions, showing him how to peel chop and boil the vegetables, trim the fat, and season the meat.

"What is this?" Mumbo asked, holding up a bottle of dark red liquid.

"It's wine" Grian said nonchalantly. "A type of alcohol. I got that bottle a couple decades back when I was traveling through France"

"What are you saving it for"

"I guess..." Grian paused to pull the chicken out of the oven. "I guess I just don't want to drink alone. It's just a bit too... sad"

Mumbo bit his lip.

"I'll drink with you"

Grian hummed in approval.

"Food's done. Are you hungry"

Mumbo opened his mouth to respond but his stomach cut him off, growling loudly.

"Hm" Grian laughed quietly. "I'll take that as a yes. Come help me plate since you insist on trying to do everything yourself all of a sudden"

**~~~**

"Hey Mumbo, do you wanna hear a secret?"

Mumbo grinned at Grian's slurred speech and nodded. Since dinner the two Gods had retired to the couch where Mumbo had tried the wine and immediately gagged, deciding it wasn't for him. Grian had taken it upon himself to finish the bottle and was now slumped sideways his eyes fixed on his God symbol.

"I wish I *hic* wasn't a God"

Mumbo frowned, his eyebrows creasing.

"Why not?"

Grian waved his hand in the air.

"I mean it's not alllll bad, but I wish I wasn't immortal ya know? I think *hic* there's something nice about death. It makes every moment actually, ya know, actually mean something"

Mumbo shifted uncomfortably, horribly aware that Grian wouldn't normally reveal this much information when sober.

"You... don't think your life has meaning?"

Grian snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Pffft you're funny. I bet you don't get *hic* told that a lot huh? But it's sometimes true. You're funny, funny, funny... I like teasing you. You get sooooo red"

Mumbo felt his cheeks burn as his face flooded with color.

"Ahh like that!" Grian pointed at him, giggling uncontrollably.

Mumbo tried to hide his face, but Grian grabbed his wrists and forced eye contact.

"Noo let me enjoy it"

He cupped Mumbo's face and squished his cheeks together.

"Squishy red man"

Mumbo thought his head might be on fire from how hot it was, and he raised his arms to removed Grian's hands. Grian flinched badly and scooted away.

"Ah sorry Mumbo. I always do that" he hiccuped again. "It's not your fault, I'm just not used to it"

"To what. Touch?"

"Mmm... kindness"

Mumbo felt his chest tighten and his fingers twitched as he fought the desperate desire to wrap his arms around the tiny God.

"You make me feel so happy Mumbo" he continued, unaware of the effect his drunken words had on the other. "But I'd understand if you wanted to leave. I'm broken. I would *hic* leave me too." He chuckled. "But I'd always think of you though. I remember everyone who leaves"

"Grian..."

Mumbo was cut off as Grian slid sideways, relaxing his head on Mumbo's shoulder as he fell asleep, still hugging the bottle against his chest.

Mumbo sighed and placed it on the table, his movements causing the small God to fall and land so that his head rested on Mumbo's lap instead. He brushed the blond hair out of Grian's eyes as he gazed fondly at the sleeping figure.

"Don't worry Grian. I won't leave you"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	16. Stubborn Care

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been a hot minute since I uploaded. I was dealing with some writers block, but I'm back, so without further ado, please enjoy the chapter!**

Mumbo woke with a start as his head lolled onto his chest. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and felt his stomach jolt as the lack of Grian laying across his lap became apparent to him.

_Crap. Where did he go? Does he remember what he said? If he does..._

"Grian?"

He stood and immediately tripped over the wine bottle, and landed hard on his elbow.

Mumbo cursed under his breath and cradled his arm gently while he rushed out the front door.

"Grian?!"

The early morning breeze whipped his messy hair into his eyes, and he shivered as his socked feet sunk into the snow.

"Grian!"

"Mumbo, what the hell"

Mumbo whirled around to see Grian a couple feet away from him, arms crossed and hair dripping.

"Grian! Are you ok? Where did you go? Why are you all wet? Are you hurt? Do you need-"

Grian slapped his hand over Mumbo's mouth, quite effectively shutting the taller God up instantly.

"Calm down Mumbo! Gods, don't yell like that, I have such a headache"

He removed his hand, turned away, and began walking back to the cave. Mumbo stumbled forwards, chasing the delicate touch.

"I'm fine, I went to the creek for a bath, I'm not hurt, and I need you to shut up for a bit" Grian continued, using a rag from within his grey cloak to dry his hair. "Or at least scream quieter"

"Sorry" Mumbo whispered.

"Why did you freak out anyway?"

"Well..." Mumbo bit his lip as he tried to figure out how to respond. "I just didn't know how you'd feel after... last night"

Grian's lips twisted in confusion under his mask.

"What are you talking about?"

Mumbo's mouth hung open slightly as his mind raced.

_He doesn't remember. How could he not remember? I guess he finished the bottle himself... and he is tiny..._

"Hello? Mumbo?" Grian snapped his fingers in front of Mumbo's face. "What do you mean how I'd feel after last night?" His face suddenly drained of color. "Did I... say something?"

"No!" Mumbo lied. "No, I just mean... uh... you slept on my lap last night"

To his surprise, Grian ducked his head and looked away, pink crawling up his neck.

"Oh yeah... uh" he coughed awkwardly. "Um, sorry about that... I was pretty drunk... won't happen again"

Mumbo smiled.

"It's fine, don't worry about it"

He had never seen Grian embarrassed before. It was... really cute. The small blushing figure before him felt so different from the scared angry person he had become so well acquainted with.

Mumbo was kicked out of his daze as his jacket and a fresh pair of socks were thrown over his head.

"Get dressed. I have stuff to do today and I don't trust you not to burn my house down" Grian huffed, shaking his head at Mumbo's state. "I can't believe you went out in the snow without shoes on. Ridiculous"

Mumbo smiled brightly through the criticism, overjoyed that Grian wasn't trying to get him to leave like he usually was.

 _Although he probably would if he remembered what he said last night_ a small voice whispered in the back of Mumbo's brain.

He shook the thought away as he pulled on his new socks.

_It's fine. I mean, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?_

**~~~**

"Go sit over there" Grian said, pointing at a tree stump a couple meters away.

He had led them further into the spruce forest, axe in hand, and Mumbo following along like an overexcited puppy.

"Oh... can't I help you?"

"No" Grian replied plainly, lighting a flame in his cupped hand.

He eased the fire over the stump so the snow was quickly melted off and the wood was dried. Smothering the fire out on his sleeve, he pointed at the makeshift chair.

"Sit down. I have to chop fire wood"

"But maybe I could-"

"Sit"

Mumbo sat down dejectedly, fiddling his tie between his fingers as Grian pulled off his cloak and walked over to a nearby tree. Despite the God's small stature, he swung the axe hard and the blade stuck deep into the bark at the first swing, a loud crack echoing through the forest.

Mumbo studied Grian as he worked, admiring the way his now dry curls bounced delightfully with each movement, and the dusting of pink that painted his cheeks as he grew more and more tired.

However, he felt his chest constrict painfully as Grian's shirt rode up slightly and a large dark purple and blue splotchy bruise peeked out from under the thin fabric. From the size, it looked as though it covered the entire right side of his abdomen.

_The broken ribs from the creeper... isn't he in pain?_

Mumbo raised his eyes back to Grian's face and noticed that although he made no sound, his eyes squeezed shut and his jaw clenched with every swing.

"Grian!" Mumbo jumped up from his tree stump and strode over quickly. "Can I take a turn?"

Grian rested sideways against the tree, breathing hard and looking up at Mumbo with a dubious expression.

"You want to chop down a tree? Why?"

"Uh... to say that I did it?" Mumbo offered lamely.

Grian rolled his eyes and smirked.

"It's fine Mumbo I got it covered"

"No really! I want to do it!" Mumbo urged.

_Please read between the lines Grian. I know you're in pain, please let me help you._

Grian didn't even look at him as he wiped sweat from his neck and stood up straight again.

"Mumbo, it's my work, you shouldn't have to do it. Now go sit down"

He raised his axe to begin again, but Mumbo reached out a hand and grabbed the handle, stopping the swing in midair.

"It's my turn" he stated firmly, towering over the smaller God and trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Go sit down"

Grian's eyes widened in surprise behind his mask and he held Mumbo's gaze for a few moments before dropping his hand hesitantly and taking a step back. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately decided against it and walked over to the tree stump, staring at Mumbo the whole time with narrowed eyes.

Mumbo turned away and let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

_Why does he make it so hard to help him?_

**~~~**

An hour later, the wood was chopped and stacked, and Grian seemed it enough to stop. Mumbo's pile was messier and more uneven than Grian's, but he didn't care. His muscles were screaming at him and although he couldn't see his own face, he was sure it was bright red.

"How often do you do that?" Mumbo asked as they walked back in the direction of the cave, their arms full of logs.

"Every couple of days in the winter" Grian shrugged.

Mumbo shook his head incredulously.

"That's ridiculous. There must be a way to automate that sort of thing"

Grian just shrugged again, not responding. He hadn't said much in the past hour, although he kept stealing glances at the taller God with a curious expression etched in his features.

The attention made Mumbo's already burning face feel even hotter and he yanked at his collar uncomfortably.

"So... uh... where do you store all of this?"

"It's not for me"

"What?" Mumbo stared at him. "What do you mean it's not for you?"

"People get cold in the winter, and no one wants to do this themselves so some pay me to do it for them. We're taking this to town"

Mumbo groaned at the thought of walking the extra hour to get to the nearby village and Grian snorted.

"You don't have to come. Stay at the castle and eat something. I can do the deliveries myself"

"No no!" Mumbo exclaimed, cursing himself inwardly. "I want to help!"

"Whatever you say Mumbo Jumbo"

They walked in silence as usual, Grian having nothing to say, and Mumbo having so much he didn't know where to start.

By the time they reached the town the sun was already hanging low in the sky.

"We better get this done quickly" Grian remarked. "Don't want to be out at night"

Mumbo shivered at the memory of the creepers and nodded, forcing his feet to speed up.

They went from house to house, offering fire wood to each vagrant and family, most of whom were overjoyed.

"Grian" Mumbo mumbled after the door in front of them closed. "They didn't pay"

"Yeah I know. Come on"

Grian began to move on and Mumbo jogged to catch up.

"But... I thought this was for money"

"That was the Anderson house" Grian said, turning to look at Mumbo in the eye. "There are six of them and their youngest just came down with scarlet fever. They barely have the money to feed themselves let alone buy firewood. I'm not so cruel that I would force them to pay for a service I'm happy to provide"

Mumbo felt his heart warm at Grian's words and he nodded, watching the small God walk ahead of him with a fond gaze.

Their final stop was the Tea House and Mumbo grimaced at the sight of the quaint shop.

"Stay outside" Grian ordered.

"But-"

"Stay. Outside."

Mumbo bit his lip and watched through the window as Grian entered the shop and began to speak to the old lady behind the counter.

_Alright. Calm down. It's just the nice lady. Jevin isn't-_

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. The lady seemed to have called out, and Jevin emerged from the back, a fake smile straining his face as he greeted Grian. The lady took the logs and left leaving the two alone, presumably so Jevin could pay.

He watched as Jevin's smile morphed into a sneer and he pointed at the door, saying something Mumbo couldn't hear. Grian held out his hand and Jevin laughed so loudly that the cruel cackling echoed outside the shop. Before Mumbo could intervene, Jevin had grabbed Grian's cloak and had yanked him outside.

"Get out of here" he yelled, jerking the scruff of Grian's shirt so hard that the small God's feet began to lift off the ground.

Mumbo felt his blood boiling and before he could even attempt to think clearly, he had grabbed Grian around the waist and pulled him away.

"What is your problem?!" Mumbo yelled, glaring at Jevin as he held Grian tightly against himself. "Do you have a reason for acting like an asshole, or is it just a hobby for you?"

Jevin scoffed and crossed his arms.

"You must be the wife, am I right? You should tell your little freak of nature to stop asking for payment. Mutants aren't meant to leave their caves"

Mumbo felt his fist make contact with Jevin's nose before he knew that he had thrown the punch. He lured over him as the boy crumbled in on himself, holding his face and whimpering.

"Give him the money now" Mumbo growled, eyes glinting dangerously. "And if you ever refuse to pay again, I promise there is a lot worse coming for you"

Jevin spat blood on the ground and reached into his pocket. He threw diamonds at their feet and ran inside, yelling something that sounded suspiciously like "grandma".

Mumbo was breathing heavily, his anger still simmering until he registered a grip around his middle and looked down.

Grian's face was buried in his chest and was holding onto his jacket as though his life depended on it.

Mumbo's breath stilted as he slowly lowered his arms to wrap around the small God. He felt Grian tense beneath him for a second but Mumbo only tightened his hold.

After a minute he finally felt Grian relent and relax into the caring touch the lonely God so desperately lacked, and he sighed.

_Finally_

**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and comment to let me know what you think!**


	17. Broken Walls

**This is another fully Grian perspective chapter, and it starts at the wood chopping part of the last chapter (it was just updated yesterday so if you haven't read the last part, make sure you go back).** **I hope you enjoy!**

"Go sit over there" Grian said, pointing to a tree stump a couple meters away.

He yanked off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets, allowing his skin to breath, and the grip on his axe to tighten.

"Oh... can't I help you?"

"No"

Grian turned and suppressed a laugh at the sight of Mumbo staring at the snow covered tree stump with disinterest, and rolled his eyes.

_Honestly._

He gathered a small ball of fire in his hand and dried the makeshift chair for his companion, before patting the stump.

"Sit down. I have to chop fire wood"

"But maybe I could-"

"Sit"

Mumbo sat with a huff, looking very much like a kicked puppy, and Grian felt his lips quirk up.

_I swear Mumbo, if you weren't so..._

He shook his head to cut off his own thoughts, peeling his cloak from his body and shivering at the sudden exposure to the cold. He'd warm up soon enough; chopping wood was exhausting work.

Grian let the world around him fade as he focused on the task at hand, bringing back the axe and swinging it sideways as hard as he could so that the crack of broken bark echoed through the woods.

Immediately, a sharp pain speared his abdomen, followed immediately by a dull throbbing ache that rippled across his body.

Grian clenched his jaw which threatened to let loose a cry, and squeezed his eyes shut until the pain ebbed.

_Calm down... it'll be fully healed in the next couple days, just..._

He glanced out of the corner of his eye to see Mumbo who was gazing at him with a glossed over expression.

_...don't let him notice_

He continued to swing the axe harder and harder, pushing through the torture to try and get the job done faster.

"Grian!"

He stopped abruptly as Mumbo nearly dashed over to him, blocking the swinging range of his axe. He raised an eyebrow under his mask, and Mumbo gave him a nervous smile.

"C-can I have a turn?"

Grian rested sideways against the tree, breathing hard and looking up at the tall God with a dubious expression.

"You want to chop down a tree? Why?"

Mumbo's eyes flashed down to the axe and then to the tree before moving back up to the small God's face.

"Uh... to say that I did it?" He offered lamely.

Grian rolled his eyes and smirked. No doubt if Mumbo took over, each piece of wood would be of different size and half would be unusable. He swung the axe up on his shoulder and motioned for the redstone God to move out of the way.

"It's fine Mumbo, I got it covered"

"No really! I want to do it!" Mumbo urged, a wrinkle of worry lining his forehead.

"Mumbo, it's my work, you shouldn't have to do it. Now go sit down"

He raised the axe to begin again, but as he began to swing, Mumbo caught the handle and took a step forward.

"It's my turn" he stated firmly, towering over the small God with a commandeering manner. "Go sit down"

Grian's lips parted, and his eyes widened in surprise as he held Mumbo's gaze. He blinked several times before dropping his hand from the axe and slowly shuffling away.

_What was that? When did he grow a backbone? Why is he..._

He glanced at Mumbo who had raised the axe and had begun to continue his work, albeit with very shoddy technique, and settled himself on the tree stump.

_Not as much of a coward as you appear, huh Mumbo Jumbo. What else are you hiding from me?_

**~~~**

Grian knocked on the door to the Anderson house, counting out a stack of logs as he waited.

The door flew open and immediately the scent of dust and rotting fruit overcame his senses, and Mumbo coughed beside him.

"Ah! We were wondering if you would come along soon!" Mrs. Anderson cried happily, holding out her hands as Grian loaded the logs into her arms. He heard a baby wail inside and her smile wavered at the shrill cry.

"I'll be back in a couple days with more" Grian assured her, offering his most sincere smile.

"Thank you my dear, you're a lifesaver"

Grian only shrugged and closed the door for her after she had curtsied to Mumbo, and ran back to her children.

"Grian... they didn't pay"

"Yeah I know. Come on"

Grian began to move on and Mumbo jogged to catch up with him.

"But... I thought this was for money"

"That was the Anderson house" Grian said, turning to look Mumbo in the eye. "There are six of them and their youngest just came down with scarlet fever. They barely have the money to feed themselves let alone buy firewood. I'm not so cruel that I would force them to pay for a service I'm happy to provide"

Mumbo hummed in a way that could have meant anything and smiled to himself as they continued.

Their final stop was the Tea House and Grian felt his stomach twist at the sight of the quaint shop.

"Stay outside" he ordered.

"But-"

"Stay. Outside."

He entered the shop, the bell on the door clinking merrily, and bowed his head to the older woman behind the counter, grateful that Jevin was nowhere in sight.

"Hello my dear" she said, smiling kindly and moving so she could accept his delivery.

"Good evening ma'am. Will it be the normal amount?"

"Yes... although I don't seem to have my money on me... Jevin!"

Grian gritted his teeth as Jevin rounded the corner, a grimace of a smile painting his features as he gave Grian a once over.

"Pay the boy, will you love? He needs to get home before it's too dark"

"Of course" Jevin sneered, watching as his grandmother walked away.

Once she was out of sight, he immediately fell back into his predictable scowl and pointed to the door.

"You heard her. Get going"

Grian sighed and tried to summon his courage while simultaneously calming his temper.

"I believe she also said to pay me"

Jevin cackled harshly and grabbed Grian's hood, dragging him backwards out of the shop.

"Get out of here!" He yelled, jerking the scruff of his shirt so hard that the small God's feet began to leave the ground.

Grian gasped as his collar choked him and he scrambled to try and get away, but before he could even begin to fight, he felt something wrap around his waist and he was pulled back.

It took a long moment before he realized that Mumbo had grabbed him and was now yelling at Jevin, holding Grian tightly against his body.

Grian couldn't hear the yelling over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears, and he barely registered the crunch of a broken nose and a wail as Mumbo fought with his tormentor on his behalf.

All he could focus on was the warmth of Mumbo's chest on his cheek, and he unconsciously clung to the taller God's jacket as though worried that he would be pushed away.

Grian couldn't remember the last time he had been touched in an affectionate way, let alone held as though he were some sort of precious commodity that needed to be protected, and his chest was practically bursting with affection. 

_The term touch starved really doesn't do it justice,_ he thought dazedly, as a shift in Mumbo's footing caused them to get even closer. 

He was only brought back to the present as he felt hands on his back, and flinched, curling into himself on instinct. This time however, Mumbo didn't pull away. He tightened his hold gently and wrapped his arms around the God of chaos, one hand rubbing soothing circles on his back while he rested his chin on Grian's head.

"It's ok" Mumbo murmured, his voice vibrating inside Grian's skull. "It's ok"

Grian opened his mouth to respond, but a choked cry escaped his throat, and he only then realized that tears were streaming down his cheeks, staining Mumbo's shirt.

He sniffed and tried to pull away.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

Mumbo just shook his head and pulled Grian back, allowing him to cry into his chest.

"It's ok" he whispered. "I'm here"

**I hope you enjoyed Grian's perspective of their first real physical contact! If you did enjoy, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	18. Needy vs Nervous

Grian liked to hold onto Mumbo's sleeve.

When they walked anywhere for longer than several minutes, Grian would reach over and grab onto his cuff as though to reassure himself that Mumbo was still there. When Mumbo's arm was out of reach, he would tug gently on the taller God's jacket in a silent question of consent.

It was adorable.

Mumbo had taken to holding his arm out slightly to encourage the new habit, and couldn't help but smile every time he felt the cuff tighten around his wrist as the fabric was gripped between Grian's fingers.

What he _really_ wanted was for Grian to just reach a bit lower and take his hand. The injuries on Grian's palms had long since healed in the months after the creeper incident, and Mumbo couldn't help but stare at the hold on his sleeve and force himself to ignore the itch in his chest that longed to lace their fingers together.

For Grian's sake of course. If holding Mumbo's sleeve made him more comfortable, then holding his hand would be better... right?

But Mumbo refused to make the move. There was an unspoken rule between them that Grian set the pace for how much physical contact the two of them had. While he obviously craved and was certainly becoming more comfortable with touch, Grian seemed self-conscious about it, and often reverted to his criticisms and cheeky remarks to cover up his embarrassment. He also still flinched or ducked when Mumbo made movements towards him unless he knew what was coming, and Mumbo was very careful not to overstep.

Although... that was becoming difficult. Everyday Mumbo struggled more and more to ignore the fondness he felt for the small God. When Grian _did_ touch him for whatever reason, it made his head spin and his cheeks burn as though he had heat stroke, and that often led Grian to believe he didn't like it and move away, the exact opposite of what he wanted.

The thought of saying something about it was mortifying, but not doing anything was making him feel like a ticking time bomb.

Mumbo's thoughts were interrupted by a soft whimper from the other side of the room, and he turned in his seat to see Grian passed out on the couch, his fingers twitching.

It wasn't uncommon for Grian to talk in his sleep and have nightmares, although he usually tried to hide it by sleeping on the opposite side of the castle.

It was unsurprising that he had passed out. The two Gods has spent the entire day hunting and farming and although he did his best to help, Grian ended up having to do most of the work due to Mumbo's incompetence.

The small God let out another faint cry, and Mumbo stood up quietly, shuffling over to the couch as quickly as possible without making any sound.

He very gently worked his hands under the huddled body, and lifted Grian into his arms, beginning to climb the stairs to take him up to his bed.

Grian sighed contentedly and clutched the lapel of Mumbo's jacket, his head lolling onto the tall God's shoulder.

Mumbo's breath hitched and he pressed his lips together as Grian's curly hair tickled his neck.

"You're going to be the death of me" he hummed, laying the small body down in the purple blankets and tucking him in.

As he began to pull away however, Grian only tightened his hold on Mumbo's suit. Mumbo gritted his teeth and tried to unlock his fingers.

_Grian... I can only take so much._

"Please stay" Grian murmured, and Mumbo bit his lip. He said that a lot in his sleep, and it made Mumbo's heart break every time.

Taking a deep breath, he laid down in the bed a safe distance away while still close enough that Grian could hold onto his jacket.

"I'm here"

"Mmmm"

Grian smiled softly in his unconscious state and rolled over so that his head nestled in the crook of Mumbo's shoulder and his hand rested on the taller God's chest.

Mumbo squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw as a squeak threatened to escape his throat.

 _I swear to the primaries,_ he thought, his heart beating so fast and loud he worried Grian may hear it and wake up. _I will never leave you._

**~~~**

"I don't know about this" Grian muttered.

"Please Grian? I need to learn how to..."

He cut himself off before _protect you_ slipped between his lips.

"Um, that thief last week could've hurt us really badly, and I-I think I should learn how to defend myself"

"Why? I'm here to protect you" Grian said, a hint of pride in his voice as he twirled his dagger between his fingers.

Mumbo bit his tongue.

_But I don't want you to have to. Ok, different approach._

"Please??" Mumbo sank to his knees before the small God and clasped his hands together. "I'm begging you! Won't you teach me oh supreme God of-"

"Ok, ok!" Grian said, badly hiding his smile and nudging Mumbo back with his foot. "Stand up, I'm embarrassed _for_ you"

Mumbo chuckled and stood, his cheeks dusting with pink as Grian pulled off his cloak and pushed up his sleeves.

"Here"

Grian picked up a stick off the forest floor and tossed it to him, who fumbled before he caught it.

"What's this for?"

"That's your _dagger_ " he said, picking up a stick for himself. "No good thief or assassin comes unprepared, and if you insist on learning to fight, I'll get you a weapon too. Now go on"

Mumbo stared at him dumbly.

"Huh?"

Grian rolled his eyes, and walked towards him.

"I'm teaching you how I learned. So, if I can get the dagger to your throat or heart, you lose, and vice versa"

He reached up toward Mumbo's shoulder and Mumbo felt his heart leap into his throat.

"W-what are you doing??"

"I'm showing you where the heart is"

Grian stepped close, running his hand along Mumbo's collar bone and began to count down his ribs, completely unaware of the effect the simple touch had on the taller man.

"The heart is underneath the sternum-" he ran his fingers down the center of Mumbo's chest "-and slightly to the left. But you can reach it with a knife between the third and forth, or forth and fifth intercostal ribs" he poked the spaces in between the bones on Mumbo's body before moving his hand up to brush against Mumbo's neck. "If you are going for someone's throat, you'll want to aim for one of the carotid arteries" he ran his fingers along the divots in Mumbo's neck on either side of his adam's apple. "They are right here under the skin. A good cut to either one will have someone out in 15 to 20 seconds. Do you understand?" He glanced up at Mumbo's face. "Whoa, are you ok?"

"Mmuuhh huuuh"

Grian's lips twisted in concern under his mask.

"Are you sure? You're shivering, and Gods, you look like a tomato"

Mumbo took a wobbly step back and gulped.

"I'm f-fine. Let's j-just start"

"Don't you want to find where the heart is on me so you can-"

"Nope! No, no, I'm fine, let's start!"

Grian narrowed his eyes at him, but just shrugged and turned his back to tighten the strings of his mask.

Mumbo took the opportunity of relative privacy to take some deep breaths and fan some cool air onto his face.

_Gods, get it together... this can't be normal... I must be getting sick... Gods in corporeal bodies can get sick, right?_

He rubbed his chest and neck, trying to quell the tingling sensation that had diffused across his body.

"Ready?"

He turned to see Grian stretching his arms, a determined smile on his face.

Mumbo rolled his shoulders back a few times and nodded, gripping his "dagger" tightly in his fist.

Grian put both hands behind his back and began to walk away as though he were taking a calming stroll.

"Wha- I thought we were fighting!" Mumbo said, dropping his hands by his sides.

"We are. Come get me" Grian called over his shoulder.

Mumbo felt a jolt of electricity go up his spine at Grian's teasing tone of voice, and he raised the stick again as he followed the small God.

Once Mumbo was a foot behind him, he reached out to grab Grian's shoulder, only to have him dodge out of the way, making him stumble to catch himself.

Grian hummed in amusement and turned again, continuing to walk as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Mumbo took a breath to collect himself and tried again, this time going for his wrist. At the last second, Grian side stepped, stuck out his foot, and tripped him, making Mumbo tumble to the ground and land hard on his backside. He wasted no time jumping to his feet again, and throwing his stick forward, pointing it at Grian's chest.

In a flash, Grian grabbed Mumbo's wrist and bend his hand forward as though he were trying to get Mumbo's palm to touch his forearm.

The pain was immediate and Mumbo shrieked, instantly dropping to his knees, his eyes watering.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Grian cried, letting him go and taking several steps back. "I knew this was a bad idea! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, are you hurt?"

Mumbo shook his head vigorously as he massaged his wrist.

"No it's ok! Grian, it's fine! 

"No, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry"

"Really, it doesn't hurt anymore!" He waved his hand around to prove it. "I told you, I want to learn. You don't have to worry about hurting me"

Grian looked at him as though he was insane.

"Of course I do Mumbo" he said softly.

They were silent for a minute before Grian cleared his throat.

"How about we start by having me only dodge your attacks. You be only offense, I'll stick purely to defense"

"Ok... but what if I hurt you?"

Grian pressed his lips together as though he were suppressing a laugh.

"I wouldn't worry about it Mumbo. Nothing you can do would hurt me"

**I hope you enjoyed a very gay panic filled chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	19. Mumbo.exe Has Malfunctioned

"Mumbo, I really don't know why you're doing this to yourself"

Mumbo shook his head, sweat dripping from his hair as his lungs screamed for oxygen.

"I... I'm getting... better though... right?" He asked, breathing heavily between words.

"Um, yes?"

Mumbo raised an eyebrow and Grian grinned a bit guiltily.

"How... are you... not tired? We've been... doing this... for three hours"

Grian bit his lip and looked at his feet.

"I mean... you don't pose much of a challenge"

Mumbo felt his jaw drop.

"Hey!" He yelled indignantly.

Grian snorted and Mumbo felt himself soften at the small God's smile.

"Maybe we should stop. I told you, I can protect both of us"

"No!" Mumbo cried, standing up straight, trying to regain what was left of his dignity. "I want to do this!"

"Ok, ok" Grian placated. "Let's just... take a break ok?"

"I... yeah... yeah ok"

He slid back down the wide tree and Grian, after a slight hesitation, sat next to him.

"You _are_ getting better you know"

Mumbo rolled his eyes.

"We've been at this for a week and I still can't dodge your attacks. You don't have to lie"

Grian shrugged.

"Yeah, I know, but you look so pitiful. Besides, I'm having fun"

Mumbo tried to maintain an annoyed expression, but felt his lips quirk up as Grian nudged his shoulder playfully.

He didn't move away afterwards either.

Mumbo slowly relaxed his weight against Grian's arm, his chest blooming with sudden warmth.

"Grian..."

"Yeah?"

_What happened to your face?_

_Why did you leave the heavens?_

_Will you take off your mask?_

_Why do the primaries think you're dangerous?_

_Why do you always have nightmares?_

"How... did you get so good at fighting?"

Grian turned his face away so Mumbo could only see the back of his ear and the tuffs of dirty blond curls that stuck out from his hood.

"I just... learned from experience"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the ground can be a dangerous place, especially when you're small" he snapped.

"...oh. Well, if you don't like it down here, why didn't you try going back up-"

"I think we need to take a different approach to training you" Grian said, cutting Mumbo off and standing up so they were no longer touching.

Mumbo blinked and sighed.

_You pushed too much. Nice job._

"Like what? We've tried having you dodge me, having me dodge you-"

"Maybe dodging isn't your thing. You might do better with strength" Grian suggest, tossing his stick-like dagger to the ground. "How about this: I'll try to pin you down, you try to pin me down. Maybe you'll be better with contact fighting"

Mumbo shrugged.

"I'll give it a shot"

He stood, groaning slightly as his aching muscles rebelled.

Grian tightened the strings of his mask and widened his stance.

"Go on" he challenged.

Mumbo took a deep breath, and lunged for him. This time, instead of dodging out of the way, Grian grabbed onto Mumbo's wrists and yanked him down, sweeping the feet out from under the tall God with his leg.

As they fell, Grian rolled on top of Mumbo and straddled his waist. He hooked his feet around the inside of Mumbo's knees and pressed his arms into the ground.

"I win"

Mumbo did not respond. He felt short of breath as he was pressed into the dirt, his body uncomfortably hot. His heart was rattling so intensely he worried for a moment that he might pass out.

"Mumbo, come on"

He blinked and let his gaze refocus. Grian stood over him - when had he gotten off? - and was holding out his hand for Mumbo to take.

He took the hand and shakily got to his feet.

"You ok?" Grian asked, staring up into Mumbo's scarlet face, his eyes narrowed in concern.

"Mmm hmmm"

"Ok, well let's go again"

Grian walked a few paces away and readied himself.

"And this time try to resist. You basically let me take you down that time"

Mumbo gulped.

_Yeah... weird..._

**~~~**

As Mumbo felt his wrists pinned down to the ground for the sixth time he couldn't help but smile.

The sun was setting over the mountains, and with the way the light was washing over Grian's face, it made his crystal blue eyes glow a breathtaking amber color.

"Mumbo!"

Grian sat back on his hunches, and Mumbo sucked in a breath of air at the sudden added weight on his abdomen.

"I swear to Gods you aren't even trying!"

"I..."

Mumbo desperately searched for words. He was trying... sort of. But the squeezing in his chest that sent tingles radiating down his body every time his hands were restrained above his head said otherwise.

Grian crossed his arms.

"Well??"

"I..."

In a sudden burst of confidence, Mumbo threw himself forward and grabbed the small God's wrists.

Grian yelped in surprise as he fell back and his arms were quickly secured to the ground.

"I win" Mumbo said, smiling proudly.

Grian grinned and chuckled lightly.

"Not bad Mumbo Jumbo, not bad at all. Just one thing"

"What did I miss?"

"Come closer"

Mumbo felt his face flush as he leaned towards the masked God.

"Closer..."

Mumbo's breath hitched and he leaned closer. Any closer and they would be...

"W-what did I m-miss?"

Grian huffed a soft laugh and Mumbo felt a shiver go down his spine at the feeling of the small God's breath on his face.

"Legs"

"Huh?"

In a flash Grian kicked up his feet and twisted his body, wrapping his legs around Mumbo's middle and jerking him to the side, rolling on top.

"Legs" he repeated, a smug smirk plastered on his face.

"Legs..."

Grian began to laugh. He sat back on the tall God's waist and put a hand over his mouth trying to muffle the uproarious giggling.

"I'm sorry" he choked out, his shoulders shaking. "You just sound so wrecked!"

Mumbo felt like he was dreaming. Although Grian sometimes chuckled lightly or snorted in amusement, he had never laughed like this before, and the giddy bell-like giggling made Mumbo feel like he was floating.

He hesitantly raised his hand and reached towards Grian's arm. However, Grian had squeezed his eyes shut in his bubbly laughter, and didn't notice until Mumbo grabbed his wrist gently and pried his hand off his mouth.

"I like it when you laugh"

Grian's eyes widened in surprise and his ears turned pink.

"You... really?"

Mumbo nodded, his face coloring under the small God's unwavering attention.

Grian smiled softly, and slowly lowered the arm in Mumbo's grasp until their palms were pressed together. He suddenly looked scared, worried, as though Mumbo might pull away.

Mumbo just shook his head minutely and gently laced their fingers together.

"Yes, really"

**——**

"What is this crap?"

"I don't know"

"Well we have to stop it! If they get too close and he finds out-"

"Shut up! That isn't going to happen. Chaos is far too unpredictable and violent for real emotional connection. He'll slip up eventually"

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll take matters into our own hands..."

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	20. I Promise

"Come here... pss pss pss pss pss..."

Grian lay on his stomach, one arm stretched out in front of him towards a mewling tawny cat. He could feel the cold dewy grass soaking his shirt, but paid the discomfort no mind.

"I won't hurt you, I promise. Come here"

He clicked his tongue a few times and the cat moved close enough for the small God to scratch under its chin. It began to purr heartily, and quickly moved to press its body into Grian's hand.

"There we go..."

Grian sat up slowly as to not spook the small creature, and lured it closer until it curled up in his lap. He stroked the soft fur and couldn't help the giddy smile that creased his lips.

"So good, you're so good" he cooed as it leaned its head into the God's chest.

Grian giggled as the cat licked his neck, it's spiky tongue skidding across his skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

"Stop, stop, shhh. My friend will hear me"

It meowed loudly and he giggled again.

"I do the opposite of what everyone tells me to also"

The cat cocked its head and Grian shrugged.

"I don't know why, it's just more interesting that way. The world is so boring when everyone just does as they're told"

He scratched behind its ears and the purring resumed.

"Of course, that's why they made me..."

The cat looked up and Grian smiled sadly as he captured the marigold eyes with his own.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't trouble you with my punishments"

He kissed its head, breathing in the scent of petrichor that lingered on the animal's coat.

"Hmm... I could tell you about... the heavens, they're awfully pretty. The people aren't great though, I wouldn't recommend it. Oh, I bet you'd have loved ancient Egypt! They would've worshiped you. Although speaking as one that used to be worshiped, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Italy during the renaissance was beautiful as long as you don't mind some backwards medical practices. Heh, there was this joke Socrates used to-"

The cat suddenly sat up and looked over Grian's shoulder. It hissed loudly and batted his ear as though saying, _behind you!_

"Ah... um, hi"

Grian whirled around to meet Mumbo's sheepish gaze, and the cat jumped at the sudden movement, scampering away into the woods.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry" Mumbo stuttered. "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine" Grian sighed, standing up and brushing dirt from his cloak. "Forget about it"

He began to walk back towards the cave and Mumbo jogged to catch up.

"You're a real cat whisperer, huh"

Grian rolled his eyes and faked a cough into his elbow to hide his grin.

"Shut up"

Mumbo only chuckled and held out his arm. Grian grasped his sleeve, smiling as the immediate sense of presence made his shoulders relax.

_You're lucky it's so hard to stay mad at you_.

They walked most of the way in silence, Grian having nothing to say, and Mumbo having so much he couldn't make up his mind.

"We should continue training with the daggers today. You're getting a lot better"

"Later" Mumbo said, holding the door for his smaller counterpart. "Have you eaten?"

"Not hungry"

"I'll cook for you. What do you want?"

"Mumbo, don't waste food. I'm fine"

Mumbo pressed his lips together in the way he always did when Grian refused his help.

"Well, I'm almost done making lunch for myself, so let me know if you want anything"

Grian nodded indifferently, fully aware that Mumbo would come back with twice as much food as he could actually eat, and convince Grian to finish it as to not cause a waste.

As Mumbo's footsteps faded towards the kitchen, Grian took the opportunity of privacy to untie the strings of his mask and let his skin breath for a few minutes. Really the only downside to having Mumbo staying with him was having to keep his face covered inside his own home. His clay masks weren't uncomfortable, but they were heavy, and wore down on his nose and cheekbones, rubbing painfully on his scars and giving him dull, throbbing headaches.

Grian ran his fingers down the left side of his face, his chest clenching painfully as they brushed the nerve-dead lesions on his temple, and then the jagged irregular cicatrix that branched around his eye.

_All bless the lord of chaos_...

"Uh, Grian... I think I made too much food" Mumbo's warbled voice drifted through the open door.

Grian rolled his eyes and retied the mask over his face. He stood and strode into the kitchen, crossing his arms in response to Mumbo's bashful expression.

"Shocker"

"It was an accident!"

Grian scoffed.

"Sure it was. If you're going to lie, don't repeat the same story every time"

The tall God laughed self-consciously, his ears dusting with pink as Grian pulled out a chair for him.

"Thank you"

"Shut up"

Mumbo grinned.

**~~~**

"Ok ready? Let's try again"

Grian twirled his wooden dagger between his fingers, waiting, as always, for his opponent to make the first strike.

Mumbo followed his movements around the clearing, and Grian could feel the eyes on his back as he strolled between the trees, even going as far as to whistle a simple melody in reply to the robins watching the couple from the branches above.

He could hear Mumbo's shoes padding the damp earth beneath them, and allowed him to get close enough that Grian could see the second shadow approaching before turning on his heel.

Mumbo reached out to grab his shoulder, which was easily dodged by the shorter man.

Grian smirked as Mumbo stumbled forwards and grabbed onto the back of the tall God's collar.

He choked and quickly twisted around and pulled his arms from his suit jacket so Grian was left standing with the clothing hanging from his arm like a living coat rack.

Grian moved to toss the jacket over Mumbo's head and obstruct his vision, but his counterpart caught it mid air, tangling the small God's hands in the fabric and holding them over his head.

Mumbo clutched his "dagger" tighter and thrust it towards Grian's chest.

"Gotcha!"

Grian chuckled and simply fell to the ground, his weight dragging Mumbo's body forward, throwing him off balance and allowing Grian to free his hands.

"Not quite"

Mumbo grinned as he threw the jacket to the side and approached again, this time with renewed vigor.

The two God's threw jabs back and forth, neither able to get a clear shot or take the other to the ground.

After several minutes of tussling, Mumbo managed to grab onto Grian's left hand and pin it behind his back. Grian tried to twist away, but Mumbo simply snaked his right arm around Grian's left shoulder, locking them in place so that they were pressed together with Grian's right arm trapped between their chests.

Grian felt his opponent's "dagger" poke his neck and looked up into Mumbo's triumphant face.

"I win"

The small God grinned and looked down at where their bodies were connected. His right hand, which gripped his "dagger" forcefully, was pressing the stick directly between Mumbo's fourth and fifth ribs.

"More like a tie"

Mumbo's eyes widened as he looked down, and he began to laugh. The sweet uproarious pealing reverberated in Grian's body, and the small God couldn't help but join in, his face crinkling as he relaxed himself in Mumbo's embrace.

"Good job Mumbo Jumbo" he giggled as their hysterics died down. "You almost got me"

Mumbo smiled as he met Grian's gaze, the pupils of his dark eyes blown wide.

"Yeah, almost"

He loosened his grip, and Grian pulled away, frowning in confusion as his heart rebelled the lack of contact.

"You did, uh, you did well. You can probably defend yourself pretty well now"

Mumbo nodded distractedly, his eyes not leaving Grian's for a single moment.

"Yeah... yeah... w-will I get a real dagger now?"

Grian chuckled.

"As real as mine is"

Mumbo's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

Grian pulled his dagger from his belt and held it out.

"It's not real Mumbo, it's just made to look that way"

Mumbo's jaw went slack as he took the weapon from the small God, turning it over in his hands as he studied it closely.

"But... you... why?"

"Because killing a human is forbidden" Grian explained, crossing his arms. "Only the God of Death is allowed to take souls. I thought you knew this"

Mumbo shook his head, and Grian blew air out sharply.

"Well thank Gods I told you, that could've been really bad"

He took Mumbo's hand, making the tall God's breath hitch and look up with wide eyes.

"Promise me you won't kill a human" Grian said, his gaze deathly serious. "They will most likely run away if they feel the dagger anywhere near their heart or throat, but no matter what they do, do not kill them. Promise me"

Mumbo glanced down at where their hands were joined, his face flooding with color as he gulped.

"I p-promise. I promise"

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you did please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think, and prepare yourself for the next update, cause sh*ts gonna go down. Also, my sibling drew a really awesome picture of Grian in this story. If you want to check it out, message me, or have any art you want me to see, it is on my tumblr (same name as on here).**


	21. The Price of Peace

"Get back here!" Mumbo griped, scowling as the tawny cat slipped from his grasp and ran up a nearby tree. "Look, I'm sorry I scared you away. I know you don't like me but you like Grian right? Don't you want to go see him? Don't you want to help me make him happy?"

The cat hissed, flashing its claws, and Mumbo stomped the ground like a child.

"You are so frustrating!" He yelled.

"Mumbo?"

Mumbo shot one last glare at the cat before turning to greet Grian, his gaze softening instantly at the sight of his companion.

"Who were you yelling at?" Grian asked, sidling towards him and looking around the clearing, his lips twisting in confusion.

"I was, uh..." Mumbo glanced up at the tree where the cat sat. "Well I was _trying_ to get that cat from last month, but I don't think he liked me very much"

A smile stretched across Grian's face as he looked up.

"Hello!" He cooed reaching his hand up as far as he could. "Mumbo, I can't reach"

"I can't either, so of course you can't" Mumbo said, smiling as Grian shoved him gently. "Here"

He gripped the small God by the waist and hoisted him up on his shoulder, making Grian squeak in surprise.

"Mumbo!"

"What? Now you can reach" he chuckled with a grin.

Caught between wanting to smack him and thank him, Grian just stuck out his tongue and turned his attention back to the cat.

He reached out an arm, letting the creature smell his hand before moving to actually touch it. The cat meowed in acceptance, lifting its head so Grian could scratch under its chin.

"That's a good girl, you're so good"

Mumbo bit his lip as to not interrupt, although the overwhelming cuteness of the situation was pulverizing him. He felt a tap on his head and looked up to see Grian smiling at him.

"Hello? Anyone there? You can put me down now"

"Oh r-right"  
  
He carefully lowered Grian to the ground, allowing his hands to linger at the small God's hips a bit longer than perhaps was necessary.

"Come on Mumbo Jumbo, I have a lot of deliveries to get done today"

Mumbo trotted obediently alongside him as they made their way to the village. He insisted on carrying the majority of the packages, and simply took them from Grian's arms when he was refused.

"I swear, you might be more stubborn than even me" Grian muttered, holding up his arm to block the beams of light from the low hanging sun.

"Impossible. I could never reach such a standard"

Grian laughed softly and shook his head.

"You really have gotten-"

Mumbo dropped the packages in surprise as a tall broad man appeared from nowhere and struck Grian across the face, knocking the small God to the ground with a loud thump.

"Grian!"

Mumbo ran to him and crouched by his side, shaking hands reaching out to help him up.

To his utter shock and dismay, Grian flinched away from him, one hand on his face to hold his mask in place, the other wiping blood from his mouth.

"Looks like your freak doesn't want you to touch him"

Mumbo turned, his concerned expression instantly transforming into a withering glare as his eyes fell on Jevin. The smirk on his face made Mumbo's blood boil.

"Thank you for your assistance" Jevin said, nodding at his large friend.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Grian yelled.

_When did he stand up?_

Mumbo quickly got to his feet. He tried to block Jevin from Grian's path but was pushed aside by the small God.

Jevin laughed cruelly and simply snapped his fingers.

The large man who had hit Grian before began to move towards the Gods.

"Stay out of this" Grian whispered, pushing up his sleeves.

"But-"

"Stay. Out. Of. This"

Grian lunged at the man, grabbing his wrist and attempted to bend his hand forwards. The man yelled in pain and grabbed Grian by the hair, hoisting him off the ground and throwing him into a nearby tree.

"Leave him alone!" Mumbo shouted, moving towards the attacker.

"Stay back!" Grian snapped, getting shakily to his feet.

Jevin cackled.

"Lovers quarrel?"

Mumbo's face burned and he dug his nails into his palms as the wide man approached Grian again.

"Why are you doing this?!"

Jevin turned to Mumbo and shrugged.

"Freaks need to know their place"

Mumbo felt his jaw drop and his eyes went hazy with fury.

"I'll kill you!"

As he made to run to Jevin, a dull thud to the side of his head made Mumbo collapse to the ground, his ear ringing from the blow.

He gazed up to see Jevin's friend standing over him, smiling like a clot.

"How dare you touch him"

All three men turned to Grian. The small God was staring at the attacker. If looks could kill, he would be dead.

The attacker chortled at the sight of such a small person talking back to him.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Jevin asked with a smirk. He turned to his friend. "Go on. Kill him for all I care"

Mumbo cried out in pain as the man reached down and grabbed him by the arm, squeezing so tightly the bones cracked.

And then suddenly the pain was gone.

Mumbo fell to the ground and looked up curiously, the man above him screaming bloody murder and dropping to his knees. Grian stood over him, a look of pure rage on his face as he squeezed the man's throat, smoke wafting from his touch.

 _He's... burning the man's throat_ Mumbo thought, wincing as the smell of burning flesh met his nose.

Grian let go as blood began to pour from the man's neck, his esophagus completely burned through.

The man fell to the ground, shuttering and groaning nonsensically until he stopped moving.

Grian stared at the body, the flame in his hand still lit.

"H-how did you do that?!" Jevin stuttered, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he stared at Grian. "What-what are you?!"

"You told him to hurt Mumbo" Grian said, his voice startlingly calm.

Jevin looked between them, shaking his head vigorously.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" he babbled, tears beginning to stream down his face as he fell to his knees. "Please, I won't hurt either of you ever again. Please, please just let me go!"

Grian snuffed out the flame in his hand.

"Run"

Jevin tripped over his own feet as he stood and ran away, screaming and crying into the growing darkness.

Grian immediately turned and knelt down, gently taking Mumbo's injured arm into his grasp.

"Are you ok? What hurts? Do you need help getting up?"

He continued to babble, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks as he held Mumbo's hand.

"Grian... y-you killed him"

Silence.

"Why... why didn't you do that when he was hurting _you_?"

Grian sighed and looked at the ground. He helped Mumbo to his feet and took a step back.

"I... I don't care about me" he whispered. "I care about you. I couldn't let them hurt you. And... I know that you need to go now. You've seen... what I am, and I know that I'm a monster, so..." he sniffed, and wiped his face with the back of his hand. "You need to go"

Mumbo felt his chest ache. Throwing away all pretenses, he grabbed Grian and squeezed him tight in a rib crushing hug.

"Mumbo" Grian squeaked. "Mumbo... I can't breath"

Mumbo loosened his grip slightly but didn't let go. He buried his face in Grian's hair.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. "But no, I'm not going anywhere"

Grian's sob was muffled by him pressing his cheek into Mumbo's chest, and he wrapped his arms around Mumbo's middle.

"I'm not leaving, Grian. Never leaving you"

The wind began to pick up, swirling around the two as though they were in a whirl pool.

Mumbo looked around, holding Grian tightly.

"What's going on?!"

"Oh no. No, no, no, no, Mumbo, you need to-"

The dark sky suddenly rumbled with thunder, and lightening struck the ground in front of them three times.

The two Gods jumped back, and Mumbo let go of Grian as a bright white light forced him to block his face with his hands and squeeze his eyes shut.

Then suddenly everything was quiet. The wind ceased, the thunder stopped, and the light faded, leaving three people standing in its wake.

"Hello Chaos" Life said.

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think.**


	22. Sentencing

Grian pushed Mumbo away from him and stepped forward, forcing his eyes up to meet those of his fellow primaries.

The coil of shame and utter self disgust that had been churning in his stomach since his grasp on the attacker's throat doubled, and he bent over slightly as a wave of nausea threatened to take him to his knees.

"Why..." Death murmured, his cloak fluttering behind him as he knelt over the body. "When you are aware of the rules, when you know how this would effect you, why would you do this again?"

Grian felt his heart sink as Mumbo's breath hitched behind him.

"Life, I-"

"Quiet Chaos"

They fell into silence as Death sank his hands into the body and pulled out a smokey grey orb. He cradled it delicately in his arms, gently placing it in a small pouch and tying it safely to his belt.

"I hate transporting the souls this way" Death muttered while Ocean nodded understandingly. "Such a long stage of limbo for them"

Grian felt his chest ache and he looked at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry" he whispered.

"You know very well that's not good enough" Life said, his voice strained as though he were struggling with the situation. "You have yet again destroyed one of my creations and brought pain upon a mortal before their set time. And you" he rounded on Mumbo. "Just what do you think you were doing here with him?"

"He has nothing to do with it" Grian piped up as Mumbo's mouth began to open and close wordlessly in panic. "He's only been down here this long because I manipulated him into trusting me"

"That's not-"

_CRACK! CRACK!_

Two more strikes of lightening illuminated the great sky, and Earth and Weather strode forth.

"I told you this would happen" Weather growled at Life, looking down on Grian as though he were scum.

"Now Weather-"

"Don't defend him Ocean! He isn't one of us! He's destruction and violence, and even 2000 years on the ground couldn't change the inevitable!"

Ocean bit her lip and looked down at her hands, nodding slightly.

"What is this?" Earth asked, walking over to where the small God was and reaching towards his mask.

Grian flinched, stumbling back and blocking his face with his hands.

"Please don't-"

"Shut up" Weather snarled.

With a flick of his finger, a strong gust of wind toppled Grian to the ground, knocking his mask loose and allowing it to be easily pulled off of his head.

The Primaries drew in a collective gasp and Weather jumped back in alarm.

"Uch! What's wrong with your face?! It's hideous!"

Grian curled in on himself, doing his best to shield his left side from Mumbo while tears began to spill down his cheeks.

His worst nightmare was taking place before his eyes and he couldn't do a thing. It didn't matter. He deserved every second of it.

"Hm" Earth hummed, grabbing the small God's chin and forcing his face up. He ran a finger down the scars, pressing roughly into the corroded flesh. "A mark of sin. No wonder Redstone asked for medical books at Language's library"

Grian's eyes snapped open and he forced his face from Earth's grasp so he could turn to Mumbo.

The tall God had gone from looking furious, to looking guilty, his eyes glancing everywhere except Grian's face.

"You knew?" Grian asked, his facial expression stuck halfway in between disbelief and bewilderment.

"I..." Mumbo hesitated. "Y-yes"

His eyes finally locked with Grian's, his expression softening into tenderness.

"Ever since-"

"-the creeper" Grian finished, looking away and bringing up his hood to hide his face.

He felt dizzy. The combination of the head trauma from the fight, the dehydration from his crying, and this sudden realization left him spiraling deeper and deeper into anxiety, unable even to listen to the Primaries as they discussed their next move.

_He knew. He knew this whole time and he didn't tell me! The liar! The con, the fake, the... the... he... didn't leave... he didn't-he doesn't care about the scars._

Grian chanced a look at Mumbo, who was still staring at him, his eyes wide with concern.

_He cares about me... and I can't let that continue._

**~~~**

Mumbo felt abundamort.

His nails dug into his palms as he watched Weather berate the small God, and nearly moved to strike him when the mask was torn from Grian's face.

Mumbo had never experienced such extreme levels of disquietude as he inched his way towards his companion, his chest aching as Grian recoiled from his touch.

"Grian... please"

"What's wrong with you?" Grian whispered, so quietly Mumbo nearly couldn't make out the words. "Why are you still here?"

"I... this is my fault. I drew attention to you, asked about you... if I hadn't been attacked-"

"No!" Grian hissed, raising his eyes to meet Mumbo's. "It wasn't your fault! It was mine and I won't let you pay for my mistakes. Besides, you don't even know me"

Mumbo furrowed his brow.

"Yes I do. I'm your friend, and all I want to do is help! Why won't you let me?"

"Because I'm not your friend!" Grian snapped, yanking his hand back from where Mumbo had reached for his grasp. "I'm Chaos! I'm destruction! I manipulated you! You were just too stupid to realize it!"

He stood up, towering over Mumbo.

"I am not a God, I'm a demon, and demons can't be changed! It would be better for everyone here if you just left"

Mumbo shook his head vigorously, standing as he tried to ignore the way Grian's words tore at his heart, ripping it to shreds.

"Y-you're wrong. You're not a m-monster. You're scared and alone, and you can't get rid of me that easily"

"What is wrong with you?!" Grian yelled, making the Primaries turn. "I am bad for you! I'm bad for everyone! I have killed hundreds before, and I don't feel guilty for killing one today!"

"That's enough!" Life shouted, nodding at Weather who grabbed Grian's hands and bound them behind his back. "Clearly you have no sense of empathy or remorse, and we can no longer allow you to stay on the ground. Expelling you from the heavens was a light punishment for your last strike and we simply cannot be lenient this time"

He glanced at Death who stepped forward.

"Chaos, you have been a plague to us since the creation. Since you offer nothing to the world, and to assure that you can no longer cause further destruction, we have decided to confine you to the realm of death for the rest of time"

Grian's face went ghostly pale.

"Do you have any final words?" Earth questioned, his voice as serene and calm as ever.

Grian looked at the Primaries, and then at his feet before glancing up to meet Mumbo's gaze.

"I'm sorry for what I've done to you. Please try to forget me"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**

**Definitions in case anyone needed them**  
 **-** **Abundamort:** **When you love someone so much you feel like you will die**  
 **\- D** **isquietude** **: a state of uneasiness or anxiety**


	23. The Chaos of Free Will

"Something is wrong!" War cried, stumbling into the palace and bowing quickly to each Primary before straightening up.

"What is it?" Life asked, his forehead crinkling in worry. War was never one to panic.

"The humans! They've started a world war!"

"Why would you do that?!" Death asked angrily.

"I didn't! That's the problem!"

The Primaries exchanged nervous glances.

"Settle down now, we can work this out" Earth said calmly, although clearly more on edge than usual. "Are we sure this isn't a mistake? Perhaps someone initiated something on accident?"

"Not possible" War said, crossing her arms. "I'm the only one who can initiate conflicts between countries and I did no such thing"

"Strange things _have_ been happening lately" Ocean said, biting her lip in worry. "Just a couple years ago that giant ship crashed into that iceberg and killed all those poor people. Neither Death, Earth, or I had any part in that, and a soul count of that level would normally require our input just as much as a battle would for War"

"Thank you for bringing this concern to us, War" Life said, standing up. "We will discuss and see what we can figure out. Until then, try and do what you can"

War looked as though she wanted to say more but instead simply shut her mouth and nodded curtly before spreading her opalescent wings to fly out the door.

"This doesn't make any sense" Ocean muttered, beginning to pace back and forth. "We should have control over these events"

"Perhaps it's a fluke" Weather suggested, shaking his foot anxiously. "I'm sure this will all wash over if we just let the humans tire themselves out. They always have in the past"

"Not on such a large scale" Ocean interjected.

"Now Ocean, lets just relax" Earth said in a pacifying tone. "We can't jump to conclusions or we may end up doing more harm than good"

"I... agree" Life said hesitantly, glancing at Death who nodded his support. "Right now there are no linkages between these events, and we need to keep the peace. If the others lose faith in us it could derail the whole system we have in place"

"If we ignore the signs of a bad omen then maybe we deserve the consequences, but fine" Ocean grumbled, sitting back in her chair as she reluctantly yielded the argument.

_I'm not just going to forget about this though_

**~~~**

Wealth bowed low before the primaries, only straightening once Life motioned for him to.

"I'm uh, having a slight problem"

"What's wrong, Scar?" Death asked kindly. He and Wealth had always been good friends.

"Well, several of the powerful nations of the world are currently experiencing massive drops in stock market value" Wealth began. "And the people are suffering greatly without money to provide for their families"

"Is there a reason for your doing this?" Life interrogated.

Wealth's eyebrows shot into his hairline and he raised his hands in defense.

"No, no, it's not my doing! That's the problem!"

Life crinkled his forehead and sat back in his seat.

"You have control of the overall affluence of the world's population, right?"

"Yes, usually" Wealth said. "But it's as if the humans are acting of their own accord lately. I mean, not completely but every time I try to correct the issues, they just trend downwards again after a couple of years"

Earth opened his mouth to speak but before he could War burst through the door again fluttering down and landing next to Wealth, who yelped in surprise.

"Again! It's happening again!" She yelled.

"Ok, ok, what's going on?" Life asked, his attempt at placation failing as she glared at him.

"The humans are growing more violent by the year, and based on the chaos in Europe and Asia right now, I fear another world war will be on us within the decade"

"Are you serious?" Ocean asked, her eyes wide. "Life, we have to do something!"

"You're right. You're all right" Life agreed, flashing a determined smile at each of them. "War, Wealth, please leave us. We need to make a plan"

The two Gods bowed (War more hesitantly than Wealth) and spread their wings, beginning to speak in low tones as they left.

Life held the smile on his face until the door swung shut, his grin instantly crashing to the floor.

"Death, are we sure Chaos is still confined to the realm?"

"Definitely" Death stated confidently. "I've been checking for his presence every day to make sure. Besides I am the only one that can open the portal or navigate the realm. Even if someone tried to break in to get him out, which is impossible anyway, they would be stuck there forever"

"Ok, then why is all of this happening?" Ocean asked, her eyes wide with concern. "If Chaos isn't the perpetrator then... maybe we should consider that we are"

"Care to explain?" Earth asked after a moment of silence, arching his eyebrows at her.

"Well... maybe Chaos is in charge of more than just... destruction. Perhaps he also sees to keeping the balance between the humans. I mean he _is_ a Primary, and perhaps he's more complex than we give him credit for"

"Oh Ocean, that's ridiculous" Weather snapped, speaking up suddenly and making her jump.

"I also find your theory improbable" Earth agreed. "Do you have any evidence?"

"I mean, no" Ocean said, putting her hands on her hips defiantly. "But I don't see you two offering up any suggestions"

"Alright, alright, calm down" Life soothed, putting his hands up. "Right now we don't have any leads and if we start arguing between each other we'll never get anywhere"

"But-"

"Not now Ocean, please" Death interrupted, rubbing his temples in an exhausted sort of way. "Let's just... all take a break for now"

Ocean glanced around at her fellow Primaries as they all relaxed into their chairs and shook her head.

_Ridiculous_

**~~~**

Grian felt the chains around his wrists squeeze as a soul tugged on his bindings. Another wrapped itself around his middle, making him tense up and causing a bone chilling cold to wash over his body.

"Screw off" he muttered, not bothering to lift his head as the souls screamed in his ear, letting off a burst of light as they flew away, and leaving him in pure darkness once more.

Grian sighed and allowed the tension in his shoulders to dissipate, spreading his large purple wings and attempting to wrap them around his head to try and soften the shrieks and wails of the souls that echoed in the inky blackness.

 _Where was I?_ He thought, straining his mind to remember the number he was on. It was very hard to keep his memory intact in such a place. _Oh right_

"If 2,972,813,054 bells ring in the tower of bray, ding dong, your true love will stay" he sang quietly. "Ding dong, one bell today in the tower of bray. Ding dong, ding dong"

The rhythm of the song had been thrown off long ago (as soon as he had hit 21 bells to be precise), but Grian didn't care.

He had to keep track of time.

"If 2,972,813,055 bells ring in the tower of bray, ding dong, your true love will stay. Ding dong, one bell today in the tower of bray. Ding dong, ding dong"

By his count, it had probably been between 70 and 100 years, but it was getting harder and harder to keep counting.

The song helped.

"If 2,972,813,056 bells ring in the tower of bray, ding dong, your true love will stay"

Mumbo's face swam behind his eyelids and he shook his head violently, his lips stuttering as he struggled to finish the song.

"Ding dong, one bell today in the tower of bray. Ding dong, ding dong"

 _"You're wrong"_ he had said. _"You're not a monster. You're scared and alone, and you can't get rid of me that easily"_

Grian took a shuttering breath.

"If 2,972,813,057 bells ring in the tower of bray, ding dong, your true love will stay. Ding dong, one bell today in the tower of bray. Ding dong, ding dong"

_Oh Mumbo, I hope you've forgotten me by now. I never will._

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think! Also, if you are interested in what the tune of the song Grian was singing is, you can follow this link:**

**<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIlbHHDWKXQ> **


	24. Do We Have A Deal?

Mumbo's hands trembled as he drew glittering scarlet lines through the air, blinking rapidly as his eyes glossed over.

He wanted to collapse, to cry, to scream, but Mumbo couldn't conjure up the will to try and unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

He wished God's could sleep, or faint, or at the very least exhaust themselves to the point of delirium. Unable to tire or weaken, he forced himself to work, spending days, months, years on new machines and contraptions, hoping to distract himself. To try and form a plan. To do... anything but just sit and wait for the end of time so he could see Grian again.

A wrap of knuckles on his door, made him jump.

He opened his mouth to speak but only let out an audible breath as his vocal cords failed him.

"Redstone?"

Mumbo walked slowly to his door, pulling it open a crack and quickly shielding his eyes from the bright light of the unwelcome sun.

"Redstone! Oh thank Gods. May I please come in? We need to have a talk"

Mumbo's blood ran hot and he felt fury build within every cell of his body as he stepped back and slammed the door in Ocean's face, his fists shaking at the thought that one of the Primaries would even dare to show themselves.

He grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it, letting a choked out scream get lost in the fabric as the red headed God continued to bang on his door.

"Redsto- Mumbo, please! I know I'm the last person you want to see, but we _need_ to talk! Now!"

After several long minutes of continuous knocking, Mumbo finally snapped.

He lurched to his feet and yanked open the door, glaring down at Ocean who still had her fist raised.

"Get out of here!" Mumbo yelled, his voice horse and croaky from lack of use. "If you don't leave right now, I will kick you down to the ground!"

Ocean took a few steps back and raised her hands.

"I understand, I get it, please just listen for a minute. I promise you'll want to hear what I have to say"

Mumbo glowered and crossed his arms.

"Talk fast" he hissed between gritted teeth.

"Ok, ok" she looked around. "But not here. I'm sorry, but-"

Before he could stop her, Ocean had brushed past him and entered his palace, motioning for him to close the door.

"You have a, uh, beautiful home" she mumbled awkwardly, glancing around before her eyes settled on the fresh stacks of blueprints that littered the floor.

"30 seconds left" Mumbo snapped.

"Ok, ok! Look, I need your help to go get Chaos out of the realm"

Mumbo's enraged expression broke as his eyes grew wide.

"You... what?"

"We ... we were wrong about Chaos" Ocean said, beginning to pace back and forth. "He's not pure destruction or confusion, and he does a lot more than we thought. The world is getting more shaken up every year that Chaos has been locked away and the others won't listen to me! I don't know if they're in denial, or if they truly hate him that much, but I just don't understand how they can ignore the facts. Right after Death confined Chaos in the realm, the titanic sank, followed shortly by a World War, the Armenian genocide, the Great Depression, two separate civil wars in Russia and China, the Holocaust, a Second World War, the Korean War, and now the Vietnam war! People are dying horribly by the millions and we don't know why! False is out of her mind, and none of us know how to explain what's wrong! I..." she hesitated and bit her lip. "I saw the way you looked at him"

Mumbo felt his heart skip a beat and tried to ignore the way his stomach knotted up as the ghost of Grian's laughter reverberated in his eardrums.

"I know... at least I think I know how you feel for Chaos" Ocean continued, her cheeks flushing in second hand embarrassment. "And I need help getting him out. The other Primaries can act like they hate him all they want, but I know they're hurting too. He is our brother, our family. He's been with us since the creation... and if they are going to refuse to do anything about the dreadful situation on the ground, then I will. Hopefully... with your help?"

Mumbo sat down and put his head in his hands. Of course he wanted to get Grian out of the realm of death. Every second since the small God's imprisonment had felt like his very own specialized type of torture, pieces of himself getting chipped away with each passing day. The hollow feeling in his chest was becoming unbearable. Of course he wanted to get Grian out of the realm, but...

"How do I know I can trust you?" Mumbo asked, raising his gaze and scrutinizing the God in front of him. "You seemed to be on board for imprisoning him in the realm, and clearly had a say in banishing him to the ground originally"

Ocean sighed and glanced to the seat next to Mumbo in a silent question of permission. He rolled his eyes but nodded, allowing her to settle beside him.

"Chaos... Chaos has done horrible things" Ocean said quietly. "And I know you... like him, but I think you have a right to know what he has done... why we are all so afraid"

When her statement was met with silence, Ocean grimaced and settled down in her chair, relaxing her opaque blue wings behind her back and straightening her shoulders as though she were preparing for a battle.

"So about 2000 years ago, somewhere around 300 B.C.E I think, Chaos was testing some new products of his on the ground"

Mumbo raised his eyebrows in question.

"Explosives. He was tampering with explosives" Ocean explained, making Mumbo wince. "And you know how curious he is about everything, so... he lit his TNT in the middle of a small town, causing a fire which burned down the village and killed over 200 people"

"B-but Grian can control fire" Mumbo stuttered, struggling to accept the influx of information that had been heaped on his lap. "Why wouldn't he stop it?"

"He was holding some of the explosives when he lit them" Ocean explained. "And he was in a corporeal body, so he passed out from the trauma. The next time we saw him he had a cloth wrapped around his face and accepted the blame for the crime"

"He just... admitted to it?"

"Yes" Ocean sighed. "He may be eccentric but Chaos was never cruel... or at least I thought he wasn't until he killed that poor man so dreadfully"

Mumbo's chest tightened painfully.

"He was trying to protect me, Ocean. It was _my_ fault"

She shook her head.

"You are not responsible for his actions Mumbo, and that rule is there for a reason. We cannot die, and thus if we must take a killing blow to avoid taking an unnecessary soul, then so be it. I mean, there is a reason none of us are too keen to spend time on the ground"

"Except Grian"

"Yes... that's true" she sighed. "Chaos always loved the humans. I think he liked their constant curiosity and maddening ideas they would come up with, but... any God who just kills so recklessly..."

She trailed off into silence, and Mumbo took a deep breath.

"I'll help you"

"You will?! That's-"

Mumbo held up a finger.

"On one condition"

Ocean's smile faltered.

"Yes?"

"After we get him out, leave him alone. If I see any of you trying to punish him again, or hear even one snippet of ill-intent, I'll make sure you find out _exactly_ how he's been feeling since he was abandoned, and more" he held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	25. Into the Unknown

"I don't quite understand your plan" Mumbo murmured, peeking around the corner.

"I told you!" Ocean whispered with an exasperated sigh. "When a new soul enters the realm, we can slip in beside them before the portal closes"

"Yeah, but you said that the realm was nearly impossible to navigate if you weren't a God of death"

"I know" she nodded. "That's why _I'll_ wait by the gateway and keep it open while _you_ go get Chaos"

Mumbo crossed his arms.

"How do I know you won't just leave the two of us stranded in there?"

Ocean rolled her eyes.

"This is going to take a lot longer if you continue to question all my decisions" she huffed.

Mumbo bit back a scathing reply and settled on a deep breath. It didn't matter right now. Besides, even being stuck in the realm of death with Grian was better than not having him at all.

The two God's crept down the dimly lit hallway of the dark palace, each creak of the floorboards and howl of the wind sending a chill down Mumbo's spine.

They slowed as they neared the end of the path, Mumbo's brow furrowing at the sight of a large rectangular structure made out of a stone with such a dark shade of violet, it was nearly black.

"Is... is that it?"

"Yeah" Ocean breathed, taking a long rope from her bag and giving one end to Mumbo. "Here. Tie this around your waist"

Mumbo did as he was told, his hands shaking as he struggled to tighten the knot.

"Here, let me..."

Mumbo glared at her and Ocean sighed deeply.

"Just let me help Mumbo. I'm on your side, remember?"

After a moment of hesitation, Mumbo reluctantly removed his hands, allowing her nimble fingers to fasten the rope securely around his middle.

"So now we wait?" He asked.

Ocean nodded.

"Shouldn't take too long. People are dying constantly"

"How do we know the portal will stay open?" Mumbo questioned nervously.

"I did some research in Language's library" Ocean admitted. "And apparently the portal will stay open as long as there is something sitting in it. If the rope stays tied around your waist, and my end is held so that its physical presence is recognized, you can find your way back _and_ the gateway will stay open"

"Sounds almost too good to be true" Mumbo chuckled anxiously, trying desperately to diffuse the sense of dread building within his bones.

"Mn" Ocean hummed noncommittally, staring down the dark passageway. "I think I see something"

Mumbo followed her gaze and his eyes widened. A soft grey ball of smoke flew towards them, daintily flittering between the walls as though it was quite content to draw out its arrival as long as possible.

"Come on" Ocean rushed, pushing Mumbo towards the portal. "We have to be ready"

Mumbo stumbled into place, crouching slightly as he stepped into the obsidian frame and clung to the rope with white knuckles.

"Are-are you sure this is going to-"

Before he could finish, the orb suddenly shot towards him at a lightening speed. Mumbo shrieked and ducked his head, only raising his eyes once he realized he had not been the target.

The soul spun in rapid circles around the center of the portal, getting faster and faster until it exploded with no warning.

Ocean jumped back in surprise and Mumbo bit back a scream as the white fractures of the soul ricocheted in all directions, flying right through his chest to affix to the edges of the obsidian gateway.

With a sound like a gunshot, the center of the portal erupted in cold purple flames that licked Mumbo's face and tickled his neck.

"Ok you're about to go through" Ocean yelled over the roaring in Mumbo's ears. "So remember to keep the rope with you, and whatever you do, for Gods sakes don't-"

Her words were cut short as Mumbo was swallowed into the portal, his eyes squeezing shut in anticipation of what might be on the other side.

**~~~**

It was cold. Incredibly, horribly, sickeningly cold.

Mumbo opened his eyes and wrapped his wings around himself, shivering violently as a strong chilling wind encapsulated his body. The soul that had entered with him shrieked in his ear before whizzing away into the darkness, leaving the tall God very much alone.

"Grian?" He whispered into the inky abyss. "Where are you?"

His whispers echoed back in his eardrums ten times over making him shudder and seal his lips.

Mumbo gripped the rope tight around his middle as he began to walk, each footstep reverberating the world around him soundlessly. Every so often a soul would come by and begin tugging on his clothes, the rope, his hair, anything they could reach, each brush from the shapeless orbs sending flashes of icy pulsations down his body.

"Stop" he whispered, his features screwing up as they screamed in his face before disappearing.

_This is where you've been for a century Grian?_

The further he walked, the colder it became until it felt as though each limb was filled with lead, unable to bend or brush away the icy prickle left on his skin from the wandering souls. They would scream at him and lick his face, whispering nonsense in his ears and making his mind begin to wander. Every few moments he would catch himself forgetting, struggling to find a reason to keep his feet moving.

 _Grian_ he chanted over and over, holding his hands over his ears. _Have to find Grian._

After what felt like hours, Mumbo finally heard something. Something alive.

"Ding dong, your true love will stay. Ding dong, one bell today in the tower of bray. Ding dong, ding dong"

The voice floated out from the emptiness with no real source, the sound simply bouncing off the walls of Mumbo's skull as he tried to focus his attention.

_Forward. Left... Forward?_

"Grian!" He yelled, his voice raspy from the frigid air.

The singing paused, if only a microsecond before continuing, louder this time.

"One bell today in the tower of bray!"

"Grian I can hear you, please, where are you?"

"Ding dong! Ding dong!"

Mumbo's legs quivered as he began to move faster, ducking and weaving as white-grey souls attempted to grab his arms.

"Grian?"

A dim lavender light ahead compelled Mumbo to slow, breathing heavily as he neared the crouched purple figure.

"One bell today in the tower of bray" the creature sang softly. "Ding dong. Ding dong"

It took Mumbo several moments before his dazed mind was able to comprehend what he was seeing.

It was Grian, his large violet wings spread over himself like a cloak, his body hunched and unpleasantly curled within itself while his arms were shackled and stretched far apart on either side of his body.

Mumbo lowered himself silently while he continued to sing. His voice sounded hoarse and gravelly as though every word were shredding his vocal chords.

"G-Grian?"

Grian jerked his body slightly before continuing his song.

"Grian, it's me" Mumbo pleaded, tears stinging his eyes as the small God turned his head away. "Please..."

"You're not real" Grian sang, replacing the words in his song as he continued the melody. "Find a new trick"

Mumbo took a deep breath and reached out a hand.

"It is me, I promise"

He placed his hand over Grian's, the song instantly dying in his throat as his small body recoiled.

Moments later, a choked sob broke through the silence as Grian's shoulders began to shake. His whole body trembled violently as he continued to sing through his tears.

"Grian no, please listen!" Mumbo begged, intertwining their fingers as he gently brushed a hand over the small God's back. "Just look at me. I promise I'm real, just... just please!"

"Your-your... true love... will..." Grian's head sagged as he finally stopped singing.

"Grian I'm-"

"You promise?" He whispered, sounding so broken and defeated that Mumbo could barely resist from encapsulating his companion in a hug.

"Yes, I promise"

Grian took a shuddering breath, and lifted his head, his sunken eyes widening as the taller God came into view.

"M-Mumbo?"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	26. Confessions and Realizations

Grian stayed silent as Mumbo removed his shackles, only opening his mouth to cry out as he brought his arms back to his body. They had been stretched by his sides for so long, and his muscles ached at the recoil.

"You're ok, everything's ok." Mumbo whispered softly, supporting the small God's back as he helped him sit up.

Grian bit his lip and tried to ignore the fresh loss of tears that cascaded down his cheeks.

"Everything is _not_ ok." He croaked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Mumbo sighed shakily and sat down opposite of him, taking his hand as he began to massage his marred wrists from where they had been restrained.

"Ocean helped me get in here, and-"

"Ocean?!" Grian choked, pulling his hand away as his eyes flared with anger. "Are you stupid?! Don't you realize what she's done?!"

"I-"

"She's going to leave us in here forever now! Why would you trust her?!"

"I had no choice!" Mumbo cried, trying to reach back over to take Grian's hand again. "What was I supposed to do? I couldn't get you out myself!"

"Then leave me here! Don't damn yourself like this!"

"How could I leave you?!" The taller God roared, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Because I'm worthless!" Grian shouted back, his voice breaking as the harsh truth washed over him. "They were right to lock me up! And now, when they find out you've freed me, they'll lock you up too!"

"How... dare you speak that way about yourself."

"Excuse-"

"Do you have any idea what kind of hell you left the world in?!" Mumbo yelled, his fists balled as he shook with anger. "You are not worthless! You never were, and don't you dare ever say that again!"

"Or what?!"

"Or... Or I'll..." Mumbo sighed, all fight leaving him as he slumped to the ground. "You just... can't. Please."

Grian eyed him suspiciously. Was this an act? It didn't seem like one, but something was definitely wrong.

"What happened on Earth after I left?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Mumbo rubbed his temples and blew out a puff of air.

"Everything went to shit." He stated bluntly. "The humans have gone mad! They're all fighting and killing each other for the stupidest reasons, and the Primaries refuse to do anything about it or even address the situation! Except for Ocean."

You can never trust a Primary." Grian spat, turning away to hide the left side of his face as self-hatred coiled within his stomach.

"I trust you."

Grian felt his chest constrict painfully at Mumbo's words.

"I... I'm not a Primary. Not anymore."

"Yes, you are," Mumbo urged, searching within his jacket as he spoke. "You have been here since creation. That makes you a Primary no matter what others say. Ah, here."

He brandished Grian's white and black checkered mask.

"I brought this for you. I don't care about your scars, but if it makes you more comfortable, then-"

"You kept it?" Grian whispered, heart pounding in his ears as he brushed his thumb over the cracked clay.

"Of course I did. How else was I... how was I supposed to... I... I missed you."

Despite the immense cold surrounding them, Grian felt heat flare in his body as his mind and heart battled within him.

_Thank you. I can never repay you for what you've done, but I will spend the rest of time trying to make it up to you. No one is as kind or perfect as you are. No one ever cared enough to try and like me. I can only hope you don't hate me too much for what I've put you through, because I truly don't think I can continue without you._

But he couldn't say it. The words stuck in his throat as he stared at the mask, tongue dry, and face slick with tears.

He couldn't. He just couldn't.

"Grian, are you-"

Mumbo's words were cut off in a squeak as Grian leaned close and tilted his head, pressing a soft kiss to the tall God's lips before burying his face in Mumbo's neck.

"I'm so sorry," Grian whispered, trembling as Mumbo remained frozen in place. "I'm so sorry that you're here with me. I'm so sorry that you couldn't forget me, and I'm so sorry that... I'm so sorry that I love you because you don't deserve that curse."

His heart felt as though it may tear itself apart as Mumbo remained silent, and Grian forced himself to pull away to stop the fresh wave of tears that threatened his eyes.

"P-Please don't..." Mumbo choked out, and Grian looked up in surprise to see that his companion was crying.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Grian sputtered, scooting away and putting space between the two Gods. "I didn't mean to... just forget I said anything. I promise I won't do it again and I-"

"Shut up."

"Huh?" He must have misheard.

"Shut... your mouth... and c-come here." Mumbo stuttered, his expression far more determined than his wavering voice.

"But I-"

"Come. Here."

Grian shifted hesitantly, moving forwards until his knees were pressed against Mumbo's.

"What do you-"

"Shh. Just... let me look at you."

Grian felt his face heat up as he was fixed with Mumbo's unwavering stare. He tilted his head to the left.

"No. I want to see all of you." Mumbo murmured, cupping Grian's cheeks and stroking his thumb over the jagged scars. "Let me appreciate you."

"Th-There's nothing to appreciate. I'm marked with my sins. I'm hideous."

"You're beautiful."

Grian's tongue died in his mouth and his jaw dropped as words escaped him.

"Please listen very carefully to what I have to say." Mumbo continued, staring attentively into Grian's eyes. "Because I don't know if I'll ever be able to say this again."

He took a deep breath.

"Grian, I-I can't live without you. The last century alone felt like an eternity and I've never felt so empty. You are not just important for the world, you are important to me because I..." he gulped. "I-I love you."

He searched Grian's face for a reaction, chewing on his lip anxiously as the small God remained slack-jawed and frozen.

"P-Please say something."

"I..." Grian's voice came out raspy and he coughed several times before continuing. "I already said... that I... do you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it." Mumbo breathed, squeezing Grian's hands as he leaned in closer. "D-Did you mean it?"

"Of course."

A smile broke out across the tall God's face and he sniffed as fresh tears welled in his eyes.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"Really really really?"

"Shut up." Grian chuckled, his mouth stretching into a form he hadn't felt in a century as ethereal joy welled within him.

Mumbo ducked his head and grinned.

"Can I... Please... C-Can I please kiss-"

Grian rolled his eyes and grabbed the front of Mumbo's shirt, pressing their lips together hungrily as he wrapped his wings around the both of them.

Mumbo whimpered into Grian's mouth, clasping his arms around the small God's waist as he pulled them closer until the Grian was perched on his lap.

After several minutes, they broke apart, breathing heavily as Mumbo's dark umber eyes fused onto grey-blue ones.

"Thank you." He whispered, making them both laugh.

"I love you," Grian responded happily, pressing a kiss to Mumbo's cheek as the Redstone God blushed scarlet below him. "Now come on. We need to leave. How do we get out of here?"

"Oh, I have a-" Mumbo froze.

"Mumbo? What's wrong?"

"I had... It was... Where... The rope!" Mumbo's frantic eyes searched the area as anxiety rose in Grian's chest.

"Mumbo, what's going on?" He begged, shaking the other God's shoulders slightly.

"I'm... I'm so sorry." Mumbo whispered, his head dropping as he clung tightly to Grian's waist. "We're stuck."

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think!**


	27. Alone Together

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was in the middle of final exams, but now I'm done so I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Mumbo stared down at his companion whose head lay in his lap. He brushed his fingers gently through the blond curls and smiled at the contented sigh that escaped Grian's lips.

_Beautiful. Utterly perfect._

He couldn't remove his eyes. Every moment he looked away made him worry that the whole thing had been a dream. That Grian was not really with him, had not confessed his love, had not kissed him.

But no. Grian did love him, had kissed, was still with him.

The blond whimpered in his sleep, and Mumbo was quick to take his hand, knowing the small God liked to squeeze his fists when he had nightmares.

"I love you." He whispered before brushing his lips across Grian's temple.

It was impossible to know how long they'd been in there. If you told Mumbo a day, or a month, even a year, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference since the black abyss of the realm of death didn't show time passing. He wasn't even sure if time passed normally there anyway.

Grian groaned, and the tall God glanced down as he opened his eyes.

"Hello." He murmured, helping the blond sit up properly. "Did you have a good rest?"

Grian yawned and stretched like a kitten, and Mumbo had to hold back a squeak.

_He's too precious._

"Yeah, thanks." Grian muttered, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "I haven't slept since I got in here, so I think I really needed it."

Mumbo nodded, his heart aching for his companion as he wrapped his arms around him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry." Mumbo whispered, squeezing him a bit tighter. "I missed you."

Grian chuckled and gave him a peck on the cheek before nudging him off.

"You're such a sap."

Mumbo whined as he was pushed away. After a century without him, every nerve in his body ached to hold Grian in his arms and never let go.

 _Don't push._ He reminded himself, clenching and unclenching his fingers to avoid pulling the blond back towards him. _He's still not used to touch. Let him initiate._

"Mumbo are you okay?"

Mumbo schooled his frustrated expression and nodded, doing his best to portray a patient smile.

"Y-Yeah sorry. I was just thinking."

"Thinking? I wasn't aware that you did that." Grian chided, flashing a familiar smirk that made Mumbo's stomach do flip flops.

"I-I... y-you..."

"There we go." He hummed, reaching out to cup Mumbo's cheek. "That's the Mumbo Jumbo I know."

Mumbo blushed and leaned into the contact, his head spinning with the desire to pull the other in for a kiss.

But as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Grian stood on shaky legs and looked around the inky blackness as though something might be there that wasn't before.

"How long do you think we've been in here?" He asked, looking down at the redstone God who remained sitting.

"I have no idea." Mumbo admitted wearily. "Does time even pass normally in here?"

"Mmm hard to tell." Grian muttered, pacing back and forth. "I tried to count while I was chained up, but by my estimate and what you told me, I was off by about a decade. I don't know if that's because I messed up or if this realm has dilated time, but either way," he sighed. "We've been in here long enough."

"H-Have we?" Mumbo stuttered, heat blossoming in his cheeks as he glanced at his hands. "I-I mean it's not _so_ bad... right?"

Grian arched his eyebrows and crossed his arms. "Maybe not for you, but I was here alone for a century, and at this point, I'd prefer to get the hell out."

Mumbo shrunk in on himself in shame.

_Of course he wants to leave! He's been chained down for decades! Just because I want to spend time with him doesn't mean I can be so selfish._

He stood, forcing his eyes to meet Grian's narrowed gaze as his heart thumped quickly.

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I _do_ want to leave, I just... got caught up in this, in... b-being alone with you." He stammered.

Grian's expression softened, and he took a step forward, pulling a gasp from the taller God's mouth as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

"No, Mumbo, it's ok, I understand. I like being alone with you too-"

Mumbo gulped, willing himself not to look too much like a tomato as Grian's words plucked the strings of his heart like a harp.

"-but wouldn't you rather be alone together in the real world? Where we could eat, and drink, and spar, and..." he ran a hand down Mumbo's chest. "...do other things?"

_Ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod_

Images of having his arms pinned over his head as the two practiced combat swam through his mind making goosebumps break out across his body.

"Y-yes!" Mumbo squeaked, his knees trembling as Grian pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

The God of chaos grinned at his reaction and stood on his tiptoes, beginning to pepper kisses all over his face, forcing the anxious God to lean his weight forward to avoid falling over, only succeeding in making himself more available for Grian's ministrations.

"G-Grian... I... please...?"

"Please what?" He hummed, pressing a kiss to each of Mumbo's palms.

"I-I... I want..."

A bright glare of white flooded their vision, making both Gods cover their eyes and turn away. After so long with very little light, the surge of UV waves burned their retinas and made them both stumble back.

Mumbo reached out blindly, grabbing for Grian's hand, but before he could, he felt someone else seize his arms, pulling him towards the blaze.

"No! Stop!" He yelled, fighting to get away and squinting as he struggled to locate his companion.

"Mumbo!"

"Grian?!"

"Help!"

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you did, please consider leaving a like and a comment to let me know what you think! Now that I'm out of school for the summer I promise I'll update more!**


	28. Here’s what’s going on

Hello readers. As you’ve probably noticed I have not updated in a while. I feel that it’s unfair to keep you waiting so I’m going to be honest.

I am not doing well. I am currently dealing with mental health things and I just cannot find the energy or drive to write. I’m trying, I really am, but I also don’t want to publish something I’m not happy with, so this is a hiatus notice.

I need time away from the stories without having to worry about it and focus on myself.

I will finish this story. I promise. I do not leave work unfinished, I just can’t write right now.

Ok that’s all bye.


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